Misery
by Suzuki Yumi
Summary: Everyone in Saki's family except her sister and herself have died, and Saki finds her memories coming back to haunt her. When she hears a voice after getting her new team, she realizes that she is nothing like other ninja. SasukeXOC
1. Welcome to My Life

**_Hey! Okay so this is a SasukeXOC fanfic, rated T because of blood and the main character's bad language._**

**_I made this fanfic because when I was writing my other one I found the parts with Sasuke so easy to write, like his actions came easily to me, so, here I am._**

**_I hope you guys like it! _**

**_- - Suzuki Yumi '.'_****_  
_**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

I looked around the classroom, dreading the time when the teacher entered and forced us onto teams with people that he knew we hated. These were our second teams. The first ones didn't work out too well. The only person who became a chunin was Shikamaru. I turned to the person on my right, who had accidentally leaned into me.

Naruto.

His team was the worst I heard. I almost shudder to think of it. Poor Sasuke, getting stuck with Sakura. Poor Naruto, getting stuck with Sasuke. Poor Sakura, getting stuck with Naruto. I guess I'm equally sympathetic for all of them.

Kiba interrupted my thoughts.

"Iruka's here, we're all doomed," He said. I restrained laughter, not wanting to draw attention to myself. Everyone was so loud, I think I was the only one that heard him. He frowned.

"If it makes you feel any better Kiba, I heard you, and I was laughing on the _inside_," I said to him.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Saki," I explained. You know, the one's that's been in your class for FIVE FRIGGEN' YEARS!

"Oh, I'm Kiba," He said, shaking my hand. I know! How do people forget someone as clumsy and idiotic as me? It's just not right.

I smiled at him and Iruka started talking, I wasn't really listening though. He was just rattling off names.

"Saki…" He started, stuttering over my last name.

"Forget it, I know who I am," I said to him, getting up and sitting at the designated table.

"Sasuke Uchiha," He called next. Sasuke jumped down into the chair beside me. Good, Sasuke. Someone I can relate to. I always compared myself with Sasuke, we're both quiet, we both lost our families, we both want to kill our siblings, yup, I can see a real connection here.

"Hinata Hyuga," He called next. She sat nervously beside Sasuke. Hinata, okay, she's not that bad. Quiet as well, and nice, I could see myself being friends with her. So the shy, nice one, the emo, revengeful one, and the mental-case get put on a team together. Sounds like a blast.

* * *

Somehow Kurenai roped her way into being Hinata's sensei again. Not that I'm complaining or anything, I just kind of noticed. Kurenai took us to the training grounds and we all sat in a little circle. 

"Okay, we're going to play a little game," She said. I raised my eyebrow and looked to see Sasuke's reaction, he rolled his eyes. Sasuke looked back at me and I quickly switched my gaze to Hinata who was just smiling away!

"First of all, each person will write one good thing about themselves, and one… not so good thing," Kurenai explained. She passed us papers. I wrote "I want to kill someone in my family" and I couldn't think of anything good, so I didn't write anything. Kurenai came around and we put our answers in the cup she had (for some odd reason she had a cup with her). She then passed the cup to Hinata.

"Pick something out and read it, then guess who it applies to," Kurenai explained. Hinata picked one out.

"I want to kill someone in my family," She read, she shifted her gaze to Sasuke, looking scared. I laughed evilly in my mind.

"Sas…uke?" She said quietly. Sasuke shook his head and looked at me curiously.

"Guilty!" I said nervously with a shrug. Next she brought the cup to me. I picked one up, reading it loudly.

"I'm a nice person," I read.

"Who do you think it is?" Kurenai asked me.

"Well, there are no nice people around here except for you Hinata," I said with a smile. Sasuke gave me a kind of glare/smirk, yes, it was a "you're right, but I hate you" look. Ah, it's great to be loved. It was Sasuke's turn next.

"I've killed two whole people," Sasuke read. He immediately pointed to Hinata, probably sensing I would kill someone easily, which I can. Hinata nodded. Kurenai brought the cup to Hinata again.

"I take pleasure in t-t-torturing others," She read, stuttering and looking scared. I looked straight at Sasuke.

"Sasuke?" She asked. Sasuke nodded slowly. Kurenai ran the cup up to Sasuke next.

"My best friend is a banana," Sasuke read. He pointed to me.

"You," He said blankly. I started laughing.

"I swear, my best friend isn't a banana, I just wanted to hear Sasuke say that!" I exclaimed. Hinata smiled at me. Sasuke glared, but I got a smile from Hinata and that's enough for me. Kurenai gawked at the cup.

"There's none left," She said blankly. She grabbed Sasuke's arm and pulled him, plopping him down beside me. She looked at us like a kindergarten teacher looks at troublesome 5-year olds.

"Saki, how come you put the banana thing in there?" She asked me.

"I couldn't think of anything nice about me," I said. She turned to Sasuke.

"Me either," He said. Kurenai put her hands down, one on each of our legs, and she bent down. Sasuke went stiff; I could tell he was just as inhumanly uncomfortable as me.

"I'm sure you can find one good thing about each other," She said, "And you're not leaving here until you each find something good about the other one." She left, talking to Hinata and looking back at us every few seconds.

"Um…" I said nervously.

"We should say something about appearances, it's easiest that way," Sasuke said. I nodded, agreeing. I looked at Sasuke and he looked intently at me.

"Well, not much for appearances here," He mumbled. I narrowed my eyes at him, I knew I wasn't _that _ugly.

"Come on Sasuke, we have to find _something_!" I urged. I looked at him closely. Sasuke analyzed my face intently, but not in a nice way. Like a scientist looking at its specimen.

"Well, your fan girls think you're nice looking, even if I don't. Put that down," I told him.

"Yes but what do they like about me? None of them even know me!" He exclaimed, looking closer at my face.

"It's probably because you're hot," I explained. He raised his eyebrow. I blushed.

"No, I'm not calling you hot, as I said before, I don't agree with them but-" I started, but he cut me off.

"You have nice eyes," He said.

"Thank-you," I said, "Okay, so you're hot, and I have nice eyes, perfect!" Sasuke nodded and we wrote them down, getting up soon afterward.

"We have them!" I exclaimed as we handed them to Kurenai.

"What were they?" She asked.

"I'm hot," Sasuke said.

"And I have nice eyes," I added. Kurenai nodded, giving me a strange look. Kind of a: "I want to talk to you after about some secret personal girl stuff" look. To be honest, I was scared. Kurenai seemed like the type of sensei that would learn all about your personal life and then tell all the other teachers, so she's not getting anything out of me. I marched over to the little stairs we were sitting on before and I sat between Sasuke and Hinata.

"Are you guys ready to do some training?" Kurenai asked. Hinata nodded happily and Sasuke and I just sat there.

* * *

We went out to the forest soon after. We all stood around while Kurenai talked. I quickly tied up my hair in a neat ponytail. 

"First of all, you guys have to try and catch me," Kurenai said. She ran off without warning. I readied myself and jumped into the trees, leaving the other two behind. I hopped from branch to branch, looking closely for Kurenai. I saw a flash of dark hair and threw a kunai.

"You loser! What are you doing!?" Sasuke screamed up at me. I shrugged.

"Sorry!" I called. I stopped when I saw a clearing. Kurenai was in the middle of it, but I had a feeling it was all a trap. I sent a shadow clone down there to attack her, and it turned into a log. Ah, substitution.

I made few more shadow clones and sent them out in each direction. I jumped along, spotting Kurenai. I _knew _it was her this time; the scary outfit gave it all away. She was jumping away from me, but I came closer. I jumped down and put my arm around her neck. She disappeared and I felt an arm around _my _neck.

Kurenai flipped me over onto the ground, running away. I threw a kunai at her and it was a log again. I swore under my breath and I ran off to her again. I looked to my left and I saw Sasuke, higher up in the trees. Sasuke went down to get her and I just stood and watched. Sasuke threw a shuriken around her and wrapped her up in a rope that was attached to the shuriken. Sasuke looked at her smugly and Kurenai built up chakra in her hands. I smirked as she broke free and ran off. I hopped down beside Sasuke.

"Sasuke, I think we need to team up, let's find Hinata," I said, as much as I wanted to do this alone, I knew what the situation demanded.

"No way am I working with you losers," He said, running off. I furrowed my brow and looked around for Hinata. I was all alone in the dark forest in this small clearing.

"You don't deserve to be a ninja," A menacing voice said. I shook my head.

"I'm a splendid ninja thank you very much!" I yelled into the air.

"You don't even have a family to help you train," The voice said. Oh it did _not _just say that!

"Get out here you bitch!" I screamed.

"You'll never be as good as Sasuke, you don't even have a kekkai-genkai!" The voice taunted, giggling.

"One day, I'll be even better then Sasuke!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, "Just you wait!"

"Oh really? And why would you think that? You can't even catch your sensei, I bet Sasuke will," The voice stated. It was probably right.

"I mean, you couldn't even stop your sister from leaving, and you couldn't save the rest of your family," The voice told me.

"You coward, just get out here and fight me!" I yelled.

"Oh, you're getting a little agitated, did I strike a nerve?" The voice asked. I clutched my head.

"Just go away!" I screamed.

"You're the coward," The voice sneered, "Little Saki, always running away," It slowly faded out. I crouched on the ground, clutching my head. It seemed to be pulsing, and I had a horrible headache. All those things the voice said, they were true. I felt a hand on my back.

"Saki are you okay?" Hinata asked me nicely.

"Yes," I agreed, standing up straight. No need to explain my hallucinations.

"I think we should work together," Hinata said, I nodded, agreeing.

"Let's go," I commanded, becoming level-headed again. Hinata and I ran along.

"Saki I see her," Hinata said, pointing down.

"You grab from the front, and I'll catch her by surprise from the back and tie her up," I said. I tied a long rope onto a large shuriken and I pulled out another large shuriken. Hinata jumped down and ran for Kurenai. Sasuke appeared beside me.

"Give me the Shuriken," He demanded. I passed them over half-heartedly. Sasuke held one in front of him and a shadow fell dramatically across his face.

"Demon wind shuriken!" He yelled, "Windmill of shadows!" Crap, Kurenai heard him and she turned around. He threw one shuriken and the next in the shadow of the first and I realized what was happening. It was all part of his plan. I just hope Hinata realizes it. One shuriken went past Kurenai.

"Ha! You missed!" She yelled. Hinata grabbed the shuriken and threw it around Kurenai, wrapping her up slightly. The other shuriken wrapped around her as well and Hinata tied them all up. I jumped down there and put my chakra in the rope so Kurenai couldn't get out, I had to contribute somehow.

* * *

Later on, Kurenai looked around at us. 

"Good job you guys, the whole point of this was teamwork, and you did great!" She congratulated.

"So, we're going to do an exercise that involves no teamwork whatsoever!" she exclaimed. It used all my strength to stop myself from jumping up and screaming happily.

"You're going to fight each other," Kurenai said. I frowned and gulped. Hinata shook her head and Sasuke smirked. We decided that first it would be Sasuke against Hinata, then the winner of that against me. No offense to Hinata, but I knew I would be facing Sasuke. I lay on the ground because I knew the battle would be over soon, and I slowly fell asleep. I woke up to smelling something burning, realizing it was my hair. I quickly put it out and glared at Sasuke, I knew he could do fire jutsu.

"Get up loser, it's time for us to fight," Sasuke said. I jumped up and stood in front of him, readying myself.

"You are going to be working on hand to hand combat, no hiding in the trees, you must stay in this circle," Kurenai explained, "The first on out of the circle loses." I looked down at my feet, which were about two feet away from the edge of it.

* * *

_**Okay, right now I'm going to recommend a song I listened to while writing this part. Download it and listen to it if you want, I just wanted you guys to understand what's going through my head during these parts (this is going to happen a lot more)**_

_**Listen to: What's up, people? - MAXIMUM THE HORMONE (otherwise known as death note second theme) **_

* * *

"Go!" Kurenai yelled. Sasuke jumped into the air and threw a kunai at me, which I quickly dodged. I then jumped up; this is when I meant business. I threw at least 20 shuriken and kunai at him, not making a single hit. Sasuke was fast, that's all I can say. He made a few hand signs and put his fingers in front of his mouth with a menacing smile, I knew what he was planning. I jumped out of the way of his Phoenix Flower Jutsu and he threw a shuriken at me, which missed, and I didn't even dodge it. 

I knew Sasuke wouldn't just _miss_, he probably did it on purpose. I felt around my back and I felt a nearly-invisible string. Sasuke looked like a crazy person when he had the string his mouth and he smiled a death smile. I took the string and pulled him near the edge of the ring. He looked shocked that I actually made a scratch on him. I built up chakra in my hand and I hit him hard in the chest. Sasuke grabbed me and flipped my out of the ring, but before I hit the ground I pulled him out with me and threw him at a tree. I threw shuriken at him and he was stuck on the tree by his shirt.

"Battle over!" Kurenai called. It isn't over until I say it is. I glared at Sasuke as he struggled. Sasuke ripped his shirt off and ran at me wit ha death glare. I smiled. Sasuke threw an abnormally large shuriken at me and I tried to dodge it, but it hit my right shoulder. It was so deep in my shoulder it almost poked through the back. It seared with pain, but I didn't do anything because I _had_to beat him.

"It's a tie you guys, you can stop!" Kurenai called. I pulled the shuriken out and smiled triumphantly.

"Please stop you guys, you're hurting each other!" Hinata yelled in her soft voice.

"Shut _up_ Hinata!" I yelled, I knew I hurt her feelings, "Stay out of this!" I knew it was time for my secret weapon. I reached into the pouch on my left leg and I grabbed out about six needles and dipped them in the little vile attached to the pouch.

"I…is that poison?" Hinata stuttered as she saw me do it. I ignored her and I made six shadow clones, giving each a needle. We closed in on Sasuke, who looked confused. Sasuke jumped away but my aim was good. Each clone threw a needle at Sasuke's neck and each needle hit him except for one, which he held in his left hand. He rubbed his finger along it and broke it in half, dropping it. Sasuke dropped to the ground and smelled it.

"Poison?" He asked, "Good move." He then passed out from the six needles in his neck.

* * *

**_So what do you guys think? Please R&R before I put up too many chapters, I don't really want to put up something that sucks!_**

**_I don't know, I'm kind of confident about this one, but I'm still not sure. _**

**_By the way, I will now be working back and forth between my two fanfictions so don't get mad if I take a while to get a chapter up on one! _**

**_- -Suzuki Yumi '.'  
_**


	2. Hit Me Baby One More Time

**_I'm sorry it's so long, I just couldn't figure out where to end it:P_**

**_I don't blame you if you get tired half way through and continue reading it three days from now or something!_**

**_But, whatever, here it is!_**

**_- - Suzuki Yumi '.' _**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

I crossed my arms smugly.

"Saki!" Kurenai screamed, grabbing my arm and shaking me violently. The blood from my shoulder spattered all over my face.

"Did you kill Sasuke?" She yelled.

"Why would I do that?" I asked her innocently, "He'll only be out for about a half hour." Kurenai took Sasuke away and left me there with a bleeding shoulder. I wiped the blood off my face and looked at Hinata. I put my hand on her shoulder and she shuddered, shrugging me off.

"I'm sorry… you had to see that Hinata," I said, walking off. The blood dripped down my clothes and ruined them, I knew it would be impossible to get that out. Knowing that fixing my clothes was a lost cause, I ripped my pant legs off enough so they were shorts, and I wrapped my shoulder up in them and I felt something pierce my back I turned around to see a kunai. I pulled it out and looked at Hinata.

"You could have killed Sasuke," She said with a glare.

"Hinata, I knew what I was doing," I said, "I _knew_ he wouldn't die, but _I_ could have died from some of his attacks." I paused.

"If I hadn't wrapped up my shoulder I probably would have died from blood loss by now," I explained.

"Don't…don't give me that… that crap!" She yelled. Oh god, and I had hoped to be friends with her.

"Don't just blame it on Sasuke like that!" She added, "It was both of you equally!" She had tears in her eyes.

"I thought you were a nice person, I thought I could be… friends with you. But when I saw you in the forest today and when you fought I noticed there was something wrong, something not there… just like with Sasuke," She whispered, but then her tone changed, "Does everyone who lives for revenge turn out this way!?" She was screaming it out, as if she herself was in pain.

I relaxed myself, I was starting to go back to normal after my little spurt of evilness.

"Hinata, don't worry about me, there is nothing wrong; I can… take care of myself," I said, I really didn't want her to be kept up at night because of me.

"Hinata, if this really bothers you, you can come over to my house tonight and we can talk about or something," I added, smiling sweetly. Hinata nodded and wiped away her tears.

"That'd be nice," She said. We walked back to the village and went to the hospital. I wandered around, looking for Sasuke's room. Hinata didn't follow, she was too scared. When I got in there, I stood right in front of his bed and looked down at the helpless looking little boy. His eyes were closed, but I had a feeling he was awake.

"You know I hate you, right?" Sasuke asked, opening his eyes slowly. I smiled.

"Yes, I figured you'd say something like that," I said.

"Sorry about your-" He started, lifting his finger toward my shoulder.

"Sorry I almost killed you," I said.

"Sometimes I get a little out of hand," We said in unison. I smiled and rubbed the back of my head.

"I knew you wouldn't die, so don't worry, I was watching out for you," I assured him. Sasuke smirked.

"I wasn't," He stated. Well that's a little obvious?

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Your shoulder," He said blankly, "You should go see a doctor or something."

"It's nothing," I said, looking away. Sasuke grabbed my wrist and pulled me down to eye level.

"Listen to me, I won't be able to live with myself knowing I caused my teammate to die," He said sternly. I nodded slowly and I walked off, checking in at the counter. I was rushed to a room where the doctors looked at the gash in my shoulder.

They said that if it had been a direct hit, I would be dead right now. That's assuring, Sasuke was trying to kill me. Or maybe he was confident in my ability to dodge it, and I failed him. Yes, he was probably just testing me. Darn it! I should have noticed it before! I looked at my shoulder, there was a huge hole, but it hadn't hit any bone at all so I was fine, except for the fact that I would need a blood transfusion.

"Do you have any family that could donate?" The doctor asked. I froze up at the word family. I shook my head stiffly, feeling sad.

"Any teammates that have the same blood type as you?" She asked. How the hell am I supposed to know!?

"I don't know," I told her.

"Who's on your team?" She asked.

"Hinata Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha," I said, I didn't add that Sasuke probably wouldn't be able to give up his blood because he already lost a lot… but, whatever.

"We're going to knock you unconscious for a while," The doctor warned.

"Whatever," I said.

* * *

"Oh!" Hinata called, "She's awake!" Kurenai came in. 

"You're lucky to be alive," She said. I looked at her curiously.

"There were two people in the village with your type of blood, and one of them was… gone," She said. I heard some people talking in the hall.

"I heard he almost died in the process!" One of them said.

"They're both lucky to be alive," Another said.

"Yes but he's been out cold since it happened," The first one said. Now I was really confused. Who was _he_? Were they talking about my blood transfusion? I sat up quickly, feeling pain running down my arm.

"Hinata, what are they talking about?" I asked her.

"Sasuke…" She started, "He saved your life." I looked to my left to see Sasuke on another hospital bed.

"You can sleep here you guys," Kurenai said. Kurenai left with Hinata following.

"Sasuke," I muttered.

"_Now _I'm watching out for your life," He said, his eyes drooping.

"You must have lost a lot of blood," I said. There was a pause.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why what?" He looked confused.

"Why did you do it, you could have died," I said bluntly.

"Isn't that what teammates do?" He asked, sitting up and looking at me strangely.

"But if you want, next time you're about to die I'll just leave you there!" He said teasingly. I didn't reply.

"Are you saying you wouldn't do the same for me?" He asked, "That you value your life over that of others?"

"I probably wouldn't save you… but anyone else… sure," I teased. Sasuke threw his pillow at me. I gasped. Not because it hurt or because I was angry, but because… when he threw that pillow, he smiled.

"So… it _is_ possible for you to not be emo!" I mumbled profoundly as he lay back down, realizing he didn't have his fluffy pillow that I was currently holding hostage. Sasuke frowned.

"What's wrong?" I asked, turning over on my side to look at him.

"How would you feel if people call you stereotypes like that all the time?" He asked.

"People don't 'call' me anything, most people don't even talk to me," I told him. I blushed after saying that. Why I was pouring my heart out to Sasuke, I didn't know. Normally I don't tell people things, to be honest, I don't really _like _people.

"Why do you always do that?" Sasuke asked.

"Do what?"

"Turn red."

"You mean, blush?"

"Sure."

"That's what people do… when they're embarrassed."

"You're doing it again."

"Well I can't help it, don't you blush?" I asked.

"I don't think so," Sasuke replied.

"Sometimes I think you're inhuman," I stated.

"Sometimes I think you belong in a mental hospital," Sasuke added. I threw his pillow at his face.

"Goodnight Sasuke," I said with a smile.

"G'night," He replied.

* * *

I woke up the next morning and I got up, feeling immediate pain. 

"Ow!" I screamed. The nurse came rushing in, giving me a glass of water and some pills. I took them quickly, but I knew they would take a while to work. I looked to my left to see Sasuke. His chest was wrapped up in bandages and he wasn't wearing a shirt. Sasuke got up to pick up a tray of food that was on a small table in front of his bed. I saw something on the back of his neck. I got up and ran to him.

"What's this?" I asked him. He covered the mark up.

"It's… nothing," He said. I gently lifted his hand off the mark and looked closely at it.

"It looks like the little marks on your sharingan," I observed. Sasuke put his hand back on the mark.

"How did it get there?" I asked.

"You ask a lot of questions," Sasuke stated.

"Answer my question," I said sternly.

"I got it during the chunin exams," He said.

"How?" I asked.

"I was hurt," Sasuke said.

"There's not many things people can do to cause a mark like that," I said.

"I'm going to go eat outside," Sasuke said angrily, leaving quickly. I'm sure he did that because he knew I wasn't allowed outside yet… I don't think. I sat in the silence of the room for a while, feeling very alone. That was, until the door opened again. Kiba walked in.

"Iruka said you were hurt," He explained, "No one remembered you except Hinata and me." I nodded slowly.

"You didn't tell me you'd been coming to this school your whole life!" He exclaimed.

"It didn't seem relevant," I said, waving it off.

"But I feel so bad that I didn't remember you!" Kiba said. I smiled.

"It's okay, really," I assured him.

"Well alright then…" He mumbled. He looked at my shoulder. "You okay?" he asked. I nodded.

"Just peachy!" I exclaimed.

"Okay, that's good," He said, relieved. Kiba had his hood off for once, it's not very often I see his hair. I like his hair, it's so brown and short and… it looks like it'd be soft but I think it'd be awkward to feel his hair.

"Care to explain what happened?" Kiba asked. I was hoping he'd leave.

"It was really just a petty fight," I said, shrugging it off.

"Well I heard it was _awesome_!" Kiba exclaimed.

"Okay, it was pretty aw- who am I kidding it was _really_awesome!" I almost yelled, explaining the whole thing to him.

"Way to teach Sasuke a lesson!" Kiba said with vigor, clearly proud of me.

"Yeah, but then he saved my life, so all the awesomeness of beating him is gone," I said with a frown. Kiba frowned as well.

"Oh well, it's still amazing, you're the talk of the town," Kiba explained.

"But he didn't even use his sharingan," I said dully. I _knew_he had been going easy on me.

"He wasn't allowed to," Hinata said, walking in. I know, but, in that battle, we did a lot of things we weren't allowed to do.

"He probably felt you weren't evenly matched because you don't have a kekkai-genkai," Kiba added.

"Thanks for rubbing it in," I said blankly.

"I'm sorry" – he rubbed his head nervously with his hand – "I forgot, you're the only one on your team without one," Kiba explained. I narrowed my eyes.

"Not helping, is it?" He asked with a smile. I smiled back.

"Your family didn't even teach you anything like my stuff with Akamaru?" He asked. The small white dog jumped up on top of his head. Hinata pursed her lips; she knew my family was dead.

"I don't even _have _a family," I told him.

"Oh… I'm sorry…" He said awkwardly. I smiled.

"Don't worry, it doesn't really bother me anymore!" I assured him. He nodded happily.

"Good," He said. He turned to Hinata.

"Do you guys want to go out to eat something?" He asked.

"Do you really think they'll let me out of here?" I asked him skeptically.

"I'll ask," Hinata said. She hadn't said much. This is why I like her best. She then left Kiba and I alone in awkward silence.

"Really Kiba, when I'm let out all I want to do is train," I protested. I didn't really like people all that much. I never really interacted well with them, always losing my temper and such.

"Come on, have some fun!" He said. Hinata came in, smiling as if to say that it was a yes. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and Akamaru tugged at my pant legs. I smiled and got up.

"Let's go!" Kiba urged.

"But I need to train!" I protested with a teasing smile.

"You're having lunch with us and that's that!" Kiba said assertively. I smiled slyly, crossing my arms.

"Fine, but I won't go willingly!" Kiba smiled and dragged me along. When we got into the hallway, Shino was waiting. I'd always liked Shino, even if he _was _a little scary.

"I was looking for you guys," Shino said to Hinata and Kiba. Kiba wrapped his arms around Hinata and Shino's necks.

"Our old team, together again!" He said, "Well, teammates, we're going out for lunch!" Shino shrugged Kiba's arm off. Akamaru barked.

"Don't worry, I didn't forget about Saki," Kiba said. Shino gave me a strange look, like hatred, but you can never see his stupid eyes so I wouldn't know.

What did I ever do to him!? Nothing! That's right!

He's probably mad at me for impeding on his team. Yeah well listen to this Shino! I was forced; I came here against my will!

Oh yeah he can't hear me, well, I have a different plan!

"Shino's paying!" I said playfully. Shino looked _pissed_. Muhaha! That's what you get for crossing paths with Saki!

We slowly walked to the restaurant, Kiba and Shino ahead of us and Hinata beside me.

"So… what did you and Sasuke do?" Hinata asked shyly. What the_hell _is she implying!? Goddammit, I didn't know she was so persistent and curious. Sorry, I'm still angry about the Shino thing.

"Umm, he threw a pillow at me in his violent rage and I held it hostage until the time came for me to strike back," I explained leisurely. Hinata smiled slyly.

"What!?" I asked angrily.

"I was just thinking that Sasuke never acts like that," Hinata said. Oh crap, she's right. Maybe I shouldn't have told her.

"Oh, well maybe he's changing," I said absentmindedly. Hinata blushed. Oh I get it; I made it sound like I think he's going through puberty! Ah! I thought. I blushed.

"I didn't… mean it that way at all!" I protested. Hinata giggled.

"I know," She said with a smile.

We finally made it to the restaurant and Hinata and I looked at them. Kiba was on one side, Shino was on the other. My eyes narrowed. It looked like we'd have to fight to sit by Kiba.

I was about to run to there when I saw Hinata sit by Shino. I guess she sensed my unease with the poor man.

Kiba patted the seat beside him and I sat down with a smile. I sat down nervously and I turned to the rest of the group.

"So…" I said awkwardly. Hinata shot Kiba a look.

"I have to go to the bathroom!" Kiba exclaimed suddenly. I got up to let him out of the little booth.

"Um, me too!" Hinata added, getting up and leaving. Hinata giggled as they walked away together. I would have thought they were doing "something" but I saw them hide behind a fake plant. I think they were trying to get me to talk to Shino.

"What the hell was that?" I asked. Crap, I didn't mean to say that out loud.

"Not sure," Shino answered. There was an awkward silence.

"How's your shoulder?" Shino asked, nodding toward my wound. I looked at it.

"Oh, that silly thing?" I asked with a smile, quickly turning it into a frown, "it's fine."

"Didn't you get hit so hard you needed a blood transfusion?" He asked. Now he was getting a _liiittle _too nosy!

"Well, yes…" I said quietly. I then decided to be manly. I mean… strong…sounding…or something like that...

"But it barely hurt, I've had worse," I added proudly. Shino raised his eyebrow (the only reason I could see it was because it went slightly above his glasses).

"I'm not lying!" I protested.

"I doubt you've had worse, you don't seem like you have much fighting experience," He said.

"You wouldn't know," I said smugly, crossing my arms and looking away from him.

"Was it when your family died?" Shino asked. I bit my lip. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, I told myself. It never bothered me before; it just seems different coming from Shino. I saw Hinata holding Kiba back as he struggled to run up and punch Shino. I smirked and turned back to Shino.

"Yeah. My parents sent my sister away because they knew the man was coming," I explained, he seemed intrigued with my story, so I decided to continue, however much it hurt.

"The man came and killed my parents right in front of me, then he tried to kill me, breaking my entire ribcage and one of my arms. My sister came in and saved me, then told me that my parents didn't care if I died. Now I'm going to kill her," I explained. Kiba gasped. I didn't want to say something to Kiba and Hinata, I wanted to let them think they were sneaky.

"Oh, I see," Was all Shino could say. I wanted to punch him for being so un-sympathetic. Kiba and Hinata walked back at the same time and I moved for Kiba to sit. They both sat down silently. I sat back down beside Kiba and the waitress walked over. She batted her eyelashes at Kiba flirtatiously. What does that beast have to offer? I thought, but then I saw it. He had taken the jacket off, and underneath it was a see-through shirt.

I still wondered whether his hair felt smooth, and I resisted the urge to pet him.

Kiba remained completely oblivious to the flirting, or maybe he was just ignoring it.

"I'll have steak and…" – He looked at Akamaru – "Milk," He finished. I started to talk, but she cut me off.

"That's such a cute dog you have, are you from the Inuzuka clan?" She asked flirtatiously. Kiba nodded, furrowing his brow. She leaned over the table slightly.

"I just _love _puppies!" She said with a smile. Kiba opened his mouth.

"Could you please just stop flirting with me and ask my friends what they want?" Kiba asked bluntly. I smirked. The waitress bounced back in front of the table and glared at me.

"Salad," I told her coldly.

"Chicken wings," Shino said.

"I-I'll have salad too… I guess," Hinata said. The waitress wrote down our orders and stormed off. I turned to Kiba with a huge smile on my face.

"I hate that," Kiba said, "Whenever I have my jacket, or even just my hood, off, girls flirt with me, and when it's on they give me strange looks."

"It's because your hair is nice and you have a good body, those two combined make people think you're hot when your jacket is off," I explained. Kiba gave me a strange look and Hinata giggled. I flushed red.

"Damnit!" I exclaimed, "What is it with me and impulsively calling people hot!?" Kiba laughed.

"It's okay, I know what you meant," He said.

"So… nice story," Kiba complimented, talking about the story of my parent's death. Oh, Kiba made a mistake.

"Kiba!" Hinata exclaimed, sounding slightly angry.

"Whoops!" He apologized with a shrug.

"Well, I knew you would ask about it eventually, so I decided to tell Shino while you were around," I admitted.

"So you knew we were there?" Hinata asked. I nodded.

"Hinata, we're not stealthy enough!" Kiba exclaimed, taking a Rock Lee pose, "We will have to work harder on that to impress Gai-sensei!" Hinata and I laughed at his impersonation. Shino just sat there like the lump he is. Akamaru barked as he saw the waitress walking up. She gently placed Kiba food down, making sure to bend down low. He kind of looked away, disgusted. I restrained laughter. She threw the rest of us our food and winked at Kiba and left. I bit my lip as a constraint. Kiba looked horrified.

"If someone's going to flirt with me, it might as well be someone that isn't scary!" He exclaimed. I smiled and started eating my salad. While we were eating, the conversation kept flowing. Just random questions about our new teams, but it felt great to talk and laugh with other people.

Something I hadn't done in about two and a half years.

* * *

**_Ugh. Okay, so here's another chapter, no obscure Japanese rock songs for you to listen to this time however._**

**_I'm almost 100 sure I planed some for chapter three (some of them aren't Japanese though)_**

**_and the strangest thing happened to me the other day, I made up a whole anime theme song experience for this fanfic, but, ignore me, that only happened because I'm crazy._**

**_R & R Children!_**

**_- - Suzuki Yumi '.'  
_**


	3. Mahna Mahna

**_Good day young ones!_**

**_You'll be pleased to know that there are no songs in this chapter either!_**

**_ - - Suzuki Yumi '.' _  
**

* * *

** Chapter 3**

When we were finished our lunch we all walked outside and stood in a circle talking. I looked around Shino and I saw Sasuke, leaning against a wall.

"Hey Sasuke!" I called, "You never told me about that-" – I cut myself off because he ran away – "mark…" I mumbled after.

"What mark?" Kiba asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," I replied, feeling a little nervous.

"Okay then, now what?" Hinata asked with a smile. I looked up at the sun, shading my eyes. It looked like it was a little after noon. Everyone shrugged and started walking down the street. All of the sudden, Kurenai dropped down in front of us.

"Kurenai-sensei!" Hinata said, startled.

"Hinata, Saki, come on, we have a mission," She said. Hinata and I followed her to the Hokage's office. Did I mention that the third died? Well, he did, and Tsunade of the three legendary sannin is our new Hokage. We walked slowly into her office and Sasuke suddenly appeared behind us.

"You will be going to the Hidden Village of Waterfall to investigate some minor robberies in the area," The Hokage explained.

"But we're just genin, shouldn't we be doing D-Rank missions!?" I asked her. Sasuke smirked at me.

"I've never heard of someone who wanted a lower level mission, loser," He mumbled. I glared at him.

"We're running out of ninja and Kurenai informs me that you can take on the job," Tsunade explained. She passed a scroll to Kurenai and we left.

Once outside of the building, we got into a little circle and Kurenai pulled out a little map.

"Robberies huh?" Sasuke asked coolly, "Sounds like this could be interesting." I pointed to a spot on the map that said: "Natural Hot Springs" and gave Hinata a look. She smiled at me knowingly.

"We'll meet at the gate in half an hour," Kurenai said. We all went back to our houses. I jumped down in front of the door to my apartment building and I walked in. I went up to the second floor and walked toward my apartment. Naruto was right beside me (his apartment is next to mine).

"Oh, hi Naruto!" I said cheerfully.

"Hi Saki!" He said with a smile, "I heard you fought Sasuke and you were both in the hospital, you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine, but I heard that Iruka told the class and only Hinata and Kiba remembered me," I said quizzically.

"I wasn't listening, but you bet I would have put up my hand if I was!" He explained. I laughed slightly.

"Okay then," I said, starting to open my door.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Naruto asked, "Normally you're out on missions or in the hospital!"

"Ha ha," I said sarcastically, "Actually, I'm packing for a mission right now!"

"Need some help?" Naruto asked.

"Umm, sure…" I said nervously. Naruto followed me into my room and I pulled out a suitcase, throwing it on the bed. I ran to my dresser and started throwing clothes behind me for Naruto to catch and put in the suitcase.

"It's like ninja training and packing!" Naruto exclaimed. I smiled as I finished with the clothes. I scurried to the bathroom and I grabbed a towel, throwing it and my bag of ninja tools toward Naruto. He shoved them all in the bag and smiled satisfactory. A gave him a thumbs-up and Sasuke appeared at my door.

"Come on loser," He said. How he knew where I lived, I didn't know, and I wasn't about to ask.

"Oh! It's been half-an-hour already!" I said, shocked.

"Well, have fun!" Naruto said with a smile, leaving. As son as he closed the door Sasuke walked towards me.

"What was he here for?" He asked.

"Naruto was helping me pack, why?" I asked. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Ugh, he's just so annoying," He said.

"Really?" I asked, "I don't find him annoying." Sasuke glared at me like he hated me for it. I frowned.

"You're rather pissy today aren't you?" I asked snottily, "Could it be that it's your time of month?" He glared more.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" I said with a frown, I hate when people are mad at me. I pushed Sasuke's shoulder nervously to break the tension. I beamed up at him (yes, up, he's pretty tall). Sasuke shook his head with a smirk and we left, finding Hinata and Kurenai waiting in the hallway outside my apartment.

"Did I really take that long?" I asked with a smile. They all nodded and I laughed. We (well, I) marched along until we made it to the gate, making sure to get some weird looks from Kakashi and his new team (Kiba was on it!). Kiba smiled and waved goodbye.

"See yah!" I called to him.

"Bye Kiba!" Hinata added. We walked out of the village and into the fast expanse of forest that surrounded it. Wait a minute. I have a question. Why is it called the fire country if the only fire we get comes from Sasuke's mouth?

And it would burn all the trees! Oh! The poor trees!

We kept jumping along and I remembered what was on the map. I frowned. I could tell it would be a long wait.

"Are you guys going to talk or something?" I asked.

"We need to be on our guard if someone attacks us," Sasuke said. I furrowed my brow. It was going to be an even longer wait if no one was going to talk. We jumped along in silence for like half a freakin' day!

"Okay," Kurenai started (finally someone was _talking_!), "The Hidden Village of Waterfall is in one of the neutral countries above the Fire Country, so we should be there by tomorrow if we sleep and sunset and wake at dawn." I nodded understandingly.

We kept jumping along, silently, as always. I don't like interacting with people much but I don't like silence either. Once I saw that the sun was about to set I told them and we set up camp in a small clearing. Hinata, Sasuke and I had to share a tent and Kurenai got her own.

"Not fair," I mumbled, "I don't want to be around that grumpy-puss all night." Hinata giggled and turned to me, raising her eyebrow, I viewed the towel that was in her hand and I got my own.

"We're going to heck out the surrounding area," I said.

"You mean you're looking for the hot springs?" Sasuke asked. I smiled approvingly and we left. Hinata and I wandered around until we found a beautiful waterfall. I dipped my tow in the water around it, it was hot.

"A hot waterfall?" I mumbled quizzically, attempting to see the top of it. Hinata looked around and then slowly took off her clothes, slipping the towel on. I did the same. We found good places in the rocks and we sat in the warm water, talking.

"So Hinata, I hear you have a thing for Naruto," I said with a smile. She blushed like crazy.

"Well, yes, sort of," She said embarrassingly.

"So, what do you like about him?" I asked her, leaning my arm on the side of the rock.

"He's… I don't know. He's so confident and-" She started, but I cut her off.

"Have you ever wondered what those things on his face are!?" I exclaimed.

"Yes!" She half-screamed. Wow. I wouldn't have expected a scream from her.

"I mean, are they whiskers, or does he put on make-up like Kiba does?" I asked. Hinata laughed. I shook my head.

"I just don't get it…" I started.

"So…" Hinata asked, blushing, "Do you like anyone?"

"Well, I didn't have very many friends until we got our new teams so I don't know them enough," I started, "My choices are basically Naruto, Kiba, or Sasuke."

"Naruto's yours, and… it's hopeless with Sasuke, so, Kiba it is!" I said with a smile.

"Saki, you're so fun to be around," Hinata said.

"Thanks," I said, preoccupied. I looked at the side of the waterfall and I saw foot and hand holds. I smirked.

"I'm going to go jump of the waterfall," I exclaimed. Hinata shook her head.

"That's not very sa-" She started, but by then I was already starting to climb. I slowly slid my foot into each of the holes and my hands above me. I held on to my towel, praying that it wouldn't blow away. I decided to pull myself up with one arm and hold my towel with the other. By the time I reached the top I was full of adrenaline. I stood a little ways back from the waterfall and I ran full-speed, jumping off the edge. I felt wind whipping at my face and water was thrown all around me. When I reached the bottom, I plunged into the warm water, my face burning. The water swirled around me and I felt like I was about to die but I finally hit the surface.

Two horrible things happened next, so, here they are.

1. I lost my towel

2. Sasuke was there and my whole "upper body" was exposed

Sasuke raised his finger and pointed, his mouth wide open. I grabbed my towel – which had just floated to the surface – and I covered myself with it, jumping out. I grabbed my clothes while I was at it. I ran down the conveniently placed dirt road to the conveniently placed small clearing with a conveniently placed large rock in the middle, and I sat on it and pouted.

I wasn't that fazed that he saw me, but the fact that I was, well, "under-developed" in the chest area for my age embarrassed me (yes, a guy sees my breasts and all I care about is the fact that they're too small). Also, he didn't even have the decency to look away or something, I'm _so_ telling Kurenai. I quickly looked around to see that no one was there, and I changed back in to my old clothes. I threw the towel into the trees, too many bad memories.

I looked up to see Sasuke leaning against a tree on the edge of the clearing. Crap. No running now, he's at my only exit. Sasuke looked upwards, away from me.

"To be honest, I didn't know that you'd be _in _there, I thought you were just checking it out," Sasuke protested, his lip sticking out a little. He looked like a small child.

"Anything else?" I asked. If he doesn't have anything to say, why doesn't he just leave?

"Sorry," He said defiantly. I smiled.

"It's… okay I guess," I said nervously. Sasuke turned to actually look at me.

"What kind of crazy woman jumps off a waterfall anyway?" He asked. I shrugged and looked closer at his expression. It was like, worry… Worry? Did he actually _care _that I jumped off a perfectly safe, water-protruding cliff?

"Well, that's enough emotional scarring for me today," I said awkwardly, starting to walk past him. He walked beside me. Oh god, can't he just leave?

"I said I was sorry," He said.

"I know you did," I snapped.

"Well stop being bitter then," Sasuke retorted.

"Stop being ugly then!" I added playfully, no need to argue. Sasuke pushed me gently. I furrowed my brow and pushed him so hard he fell against a tree.

"Mwahaha!" I laughed evilly starting to run away. Sasuke looked unconscious.

"Are you okay?" I asked, running back to him. Sasuke smirked and grabbed my wrist.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked him.

"Let's take this shortcut," He said, gesturing to a thick field.

"No way, it's probably poison ivy or something!" I exclaimed, turning back around to take the other way. I started scratching.

"No, that one's poison ivy," Sasuke informed me. I finished scratching and I looked at him intensely.

"Sasuke!" I screamed at him, "I think I'm going to _kill_you!"

"Sasuke Uchiha!" Sasuke exclaimed, "Master of deception!"

"Saki Kumagaya! Master of hunting ugly beasts!" I yelled, hiding under a bush. I made my hands into binoculars, spotting Sasuke.

"Ah, there's one mate," I muttered, "A rare, genuine, ugly beast." Sasuke came over to me and stepped on my head.

"No!" I protested into the ground, "Dirt tastes yucky!" Sasuke took his foot off and I jumped up.

"It seems the ugly beast wants to fight," I narrated, "But he's no match for Saki the ugly beast hunter!" I punched Sasuke in the arm playfully. Sasuke scratched my neck with his one abnormally long sharp nail.

"Note to self," I pretended to say into one of those tape recorder things, "Ugly beast attacks with a mixture of cat and sissy girl fighting styles." Sasuke stuck his tongue out at me and we found ourselves back at the camp.

* * *

Later on that night, Kurenai was rubbing a cream on my back for my poison ivy. It hurt like hell, but I knew it was worth it. I was covering the front of my body up with my shirt. Sasuke lifted up the flap and came in, noticing that I didn't have a shirt on but not doing anything about it. 

"It seems that 'Saki the Ugly Beast Hunter' has gotten poison ivy, could it be that the ugly beast planned this?" Sasuke narrated. I smirked. Kurenai probably had no idea what we were talking about. Kurenai gave Sasuke a look that said "leave right now, can't you see she's topless". I liked her idea.

"It's okay, I've seen it all before," Sasuke said, waving it off. I flushed red. God Sasuke, way to make her think scary perverted things.

"Um, care to elaborate on that?" Kurenai asked.

"Hot springs," Was all I said. I think that covered it. Kurenai turned to Sasuke for a more elaborate answer. Wrong person to turn to Kurenai, you'd have better luck with Hinata, even.

"What she said," Sasuke said, gesturing to me. Kurenai stopped rubbing the stuff on my back and arms.

"Sasuke, you're going to have to leave now," Kurenai said. Sasuke shrugged and left.

"You two seem to be getting along," Kurenai told me as she found me a tube top to wear so I wouldn't have to ruin a sleeved shirt.

"Yeah I guess," I said, "I just find it easy to talk to Sasuke since we're a lot alike." Where did that come from and why did I tell _her_ (of all people)? She threw the shirt to me and I pulled it on carefully. I went outside and I looked around hastily. It's _quiet_… too quiet…

"The ugly beast must be planning a surprise attack," I muttered.

"Saki the Ugly Beast Hunter carefully treads along the ground, waiting for the ugly beast to strike," Sasuke narrated. Where is he?

"But the ugly beast has matured since their last encounter and he realizes the error of his ways, in other words, he apologizes for misbehaving," Sasuke kept saying. I crinkled my nose.

"Excuse me but I don't think the ugly beast can do that, it _must_be against the rules or something," I protested.

"It seems that the ugly beast is contemplating whether or not to confront Saki," Sasuke said, "He probably would if Saki forgave him." I almost laughed. Got you now, beast! I jumped at the bush and tackled Sasuke, finding myself lying over him.

"How'd you find me?" Sasuke asked. I smiled.

"My ugly beast senses were tingling," I explained. Hinata came outside and called our names. I was about to jump off of Sasuke when he held me down and covered my mouth.

"Pedophile!" I yelled, but it was muffled. Sasuke glared at me. Hinata came through the bushes and saw us, gasping.

"It's not!" I started, but Sasuke clapped his hand over my mouth.

"Aren't you glad I saved you from that spider?" Sasuke asked. I understood what he was doing. I nodded.

"Yes, thank you!" I gushed, "I _hate _spiders!" Sasuke turned to Hinata.

"And it was a big-ass spider too!" He said, making his hands into a shape about the size of a ping-pong paddle. Hinata shivered.

"Maybe you should go back before it gets you, we'll come soon," I said. She ran off, clearly scared. When I was sure she was in the tent I burst out laughing.

"Nice one," I said to Sasuke, raising my hand for a hi-five. Sasuke ignored it and went straight to the tent. I followed soon after. Hinata was on the left and it appeared that Sasuke wanted me in the middle.

"Sasuke, I'm going to get my poison ivy medicine on Hinata, you go in the middle," I explained. He looked kind of angry because of it. Does he have some sort of problem like wetting the bed? Yes. That's probably it.

I lay down on the right side of the tent and I put a blanket up to my waist because the ointment was only on my upper body. I lay there in silence for a while, my eyes closed. I slid onto my left side for a while, switching to my right. I lay that way, staring at Sasuke's back. I turned back to lying flat.

"Could you just go to sleep!?" Sasuke snapped. I rolled my eyes.

"P.M.S" Was all I said. Sasuke whipped around just when I turned to my left. We stared at each other intently, our faces close together. After a while, I started blushing.

"Loser," Sasuke said, turning the other way.

"Woman," I retorted. Sasuke turned back around and I noticed the look he gave me. I sat up, crossing my arms.

"What!?" I asked, my lip protruding like a child's.

"You call me a woman like it's an insult," Sasuke explained, "You're a woman too."

"No, I'm Saki the Ugly Beast Hunter, and if the ugly beast doesn't stop complaining Saki's going to destroy it," I explained calmly. Sasuke clenched his teeth.

"The ugly beast will stop if the hunter stops _moving around_!" Sasuke whispered harshly, finally realizing that Hinata was asleep. I lay back down. I tried to stay quiet.

"How can you be tired at this hour!?" I screamed.

"You don't have to be tired, just force yourself to go to sleep or you'll be _really _tired tomorrow morning," Sasuke said, his back to me.

"You know, this always used to happen when I was younger and my mom would sing to me," I explained. Sasuke turned around to face me, narrowing his eyes.

"I am _not _singing to you," He said.

"Why not? I heard ugly beasts have great voices," I said with a smirk. I knew this would be fun.

"No," Sasuke said blankly. I pouted, giving him puppy-dog eyes.

"Hey Hinata, you awake?" He asked. I shook my head knowing she wasn't. There's absolutely no way you'll get out of this one Sasuke.

"Will you go to sleep if I sing to you?" Sasuke asked. I nodded innocently.

"I hate you," Sasuke said, glaring.

"You should sing…" - I thought for a moment – "The mahna mahna song."

"What the _hell _is that?" Sasuke asked.

"The one that goes; Mahna mahna" – my pitch changed to higher – "doo doo be-doo-do, mahna mahna, do do-do do!" I sang, "You know!"

"The one from muppets!?" Sasuke asked excitedly.

"Note to self," I said, "Ugly beast demonstrates muppet loving behavior. I wouldn't expect that from a creature of that species." Sasuke sighed.

"Mahna mahna, doo doo-be-doo-do," he started.

"No no no!" I scolded, "More pizazz! More life! And make those doo-doo's high-pitched!" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Mahna mahna," – He now went high pitched – "Doo doo-be-doo-do!" – he smirked – "Mahna mahna!" He sang. I joined in for the next part,

"Doo do-do do!"

"Mahna Mahna!" We both did this next part;

"Do doo be-do-do be-do-do be-do-do be-do-do-doodle do do do-doo do!" Kurenai came rushing in to see us both pretending to sleep.

"What the hell was that noise!?" She asked. We kept "sleeping". When she left, Sasuke and I had our backs to each other.

"Nighty-night muppet," I said. I decided to call him muppet from now on.

"If it was any other song I wouldn't have done it," Sasuke said. I smiled.

"Tuesday, week one of research; I've come up with an official nickname for the specimen, muppet. We will call it this in our further studies," I "recorded". Sasuke whipped around and gave me a strange look.

"What's that look for!?" I screamed.

"You referred to yourself as 'us'," Sasuke stated. I shrugged.

"And more importantly, 'it'!?" Sasuke asked angrily, "So now I'm an it?" I nodded proudly.

"Let's be honest here, none of us are really convinced either way," I said with an evil smirk. This is fun, I _like_being on this kid's team.

"There you go, referring to yourself as more than one person again," Sasuke said. I gave him a hearty half-smile and I turned my back to him, falling asleep almost immediately.

* * *

I got up, realizing everyone else was outside. 

"So, you finally fell asleep huh?" Sasuke said, rolling up Kurenai's tent.

"It was the song, I know it was," I assured him. Sasuke rolled his eyes. I walked over to Hinata, yawning loudly.

"I told you you'd be tired today," Sasuke informed me. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"I see you didn't wet the bed," I said to him. He raised his eyebrow. I forgot I didn't say that out loud.

"Sometimes I wonder where you come up with your theories," Hinata mumbled. I laughed. Hinata tugged on my shirt and pulled me behind our tent.

"What is it Hinata?" I asked, sensing her urgency.

"While you're on good terms with Sasuke, want to ask him what Naruto likes, other than ramen?" Hinata asked me. I put up my hand to say something (don't ask why I did that).

"Umm, two things;

1. I am definitely _not _in any way on good terms with Sasuke, if you don't remember, I just called him a bed wetter.

2. I'm friends with Naruto you know, you could just ask me yourself," I told her.

"So what do _you_ know?" She asked me.

"He likes ramen, obviously, well, he likes any kind of food, so make him food and you're set," I explained, "He likes it when Sasuke gets put down or defeated, but don't go challenging Sasuke for Naruto, just compliment him on how great his fighting is."

"Was that I good explanation?" I asked.

"Yes," Hinata said, bowing in thanks. We walked out and Sasuke eyed us skeptically, and Kurenai knowingly. Ah, the joys of having a female teacher. When we were done packing up we all got started jumping along.

"I don't even get to bathe!?" I protested.

"If you were up earlier…" Kurenai started. I crossed my arms and kept jumping through the trees.

"Meanie-pants," I said in a childish voice.

* * *

_**Ah, another glorious chapter is finished.**_

_**I'm going to need people to start reviewing because, well, I don't want to keep this up if I don't know who likes it:(**_

_**Did you like the ending to this chapter? I just didn't know how to end it... **_

**_Oh well... _**

**_ - - Suzuki Yumi '.'  
_**


	4. Hyper Music

**_I decided to make this chapter from Sasuke's point of view because some parts just required him._**

**_ - - Suzuki Yumi '.'_**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_Sasuke - _

We jumped along in silence for a few hours after that little outburst. I looked over at her, Saki. Her shoulder-length brown hair was fluttering in the wind and a dark shadow was cast across her face. I smirked.

She noticed me staring and she smiled at me. I really can't help but be happy around her, she radiates a happy aura. It's annoying, but I find it fascinating that someone who went through an experience much like mine didn't turn out as cold and mean as me. I don't know the exact detail, but I do know that we both walk the path of revenge. She's taught me that it's possible to be happy when you live for vengeance.

"Mittens," I heard Saki mumble. I raised my eyebrow, wondering what she was so annoyed with.

"Will someone talk!?" She screamed loudly. I smirked.

"We don't want to give out our position," Kurenai scolded. Saki frowned. I think she craves entertainment and needs to be kept busy, or else she'll get really bored.

"Wait," Kurenai said, stopping us, "I think I hear something." I balanced myself on the tree limb with my chakra.

My thoughts drifted off to the mission before us. I wondered what the waterfall village was like. At first I imagined a peaceful little town with a nice waterfall to the east that you could hear flowing. I imagined us walking into the town and the girls running for a nice hotel. Itachi then walked out from behind a building, staring at me. I knew it was time to strike. I jumped out of the way of his kunai and I opened my eyes realizing that I had fallen off the tree branch. I jumped back on to hear Saki bursting into laughter. I narrowed my eyes at her. She quickly stopped, tucking her hair behind her ear nervously and looking away. I eyed her quizzically. I never really understood that woman.

She looked up to the sky with a lost look. Like… like… a lost lamb. Yes, she's a lamb.

Shut up Sasuke this isn't the time to be a mental case.

God! I'm turning into Saki!

I slapped myself and she jumped over to me.

"What is it my lost little lamb?" She asked me. I furrowed my eyebrows. It's like she can read minds. She probably can. I wouldnve, world's" / 't be surprised if she could.

"It's… nothing," I mumbled. She shrugged and we kept jumping along. I looked closely into the distance and I saw a large waterfall, bigger than the one back at the hot springs. Two ninja dropped down in front of us, taking a fighting stance. I quickly turned on my sharingan and pulled out a few shuriken.

"What are you doing here?" One of the men asked.

"We are here from the Village Hidden in the Leaves to investigate robberies," Kurenai explained. The men lowered their guard.

"Follow me," The old-looking one said. We all followed skeptically, walking along the edge of the water. We made it to the waterfall and we walked behind it, finding a cave.

"Don't step in the water or you'll be swept away!" One of the men – I wasn't sure who – called. I looked to Saki. Knowing her clumsiness, she would fall. I walked over to her and made sure to stand behind her so I could catch her.

The men jumped across stone that were in the middle of the gushing water. Hinata jumped on them with ease, her petite figure helped her. Kurenai followed and the next one was Saki. She paused, looking unsure.

"It's not that hard Saki, just concentrate!" Hinata yelled. Saki jumped on the first one, almost falling but then catching her balance. She jumped on the next and I made sure I was behind her. When she made it to the third and last one – it had the biggest gap to jump – she gulped loudly. She jumped but then fell backwards. I caught her and I stumbled back. I quickly delivered chakra evenly to the soles of my feet so I could walk on the water. It was hard to stay balanced because the force of the water was so fierce, but I did it. We quickly made it to the edge and I put Saki down. She looked at me as if I was her hero.

"Thank-you," She said shyly. It isn't like her to be so shy.

Once the men, Kurenai, and Hinata had been a safe enough distance away Saki lashed out. I had seen it coming.

"You idiot Muppet!" Saki screamed at me, "Acting all tough-guy! I can take care of myself!" She made a puff of air come out of her lips just so that it blew her hair upwards, I noticed a scar on her forehead.

"Where did you get that scar?" I asked her. She traced it with her finger.

"Oh, that thing? No where," Saki explained hastily.

"Don't act all 'tough-guy'," I quoted. Her eye twitched.

"Tough…guy?" She asked me. I threw my hands in front of me defensively. She looked mad.

"I was just quoting you, I mean, I didn't mean to, oh god," I protested. She punched me in the face and I went flying back onto the rock floor. I ran my finger along it, it was freezing cold.

I lifted my hand to my face to wipe the blood off. That girl is a loose cannon. She's like… the new Tsunade. I shivered.

"Stop being a wimp," Saki said, "Let's go." We walked up to the rest of the group and Kurenai noticed my bleeding lip. She ruffled Saki's hair like she was proud or something.

Oh my dearie, you gave a poor kid a broken nose, way to go!

Shut up.

You shut up.

Stop arguing with yourself.

Didn't I tell you to shut up?

I swear, being around these guys has made me crazy.

"Here we are," One of the guiding men said, pointing us to a rather small city. There was so much moisture in the air that the light seemed to sparkle off the little droplets. Hinata's eyes went wide.

"It's beautiful," She said.

"We've already arranged a hotel for you here," the younger man said. We followed him to a little inn and we walked in. He waved to the desk clerk and took us upstairs to the _one _room we'd all be sharing. It was nice… quaint… It had one bed with a huge red comforter on it and very ugly tan carpets that looked like people threw up on them… a lot. Kurenai whispered with the man and he left, closing the door behind him. Saki put on her glasses… she has glasses? Anyway, then she took out a book. I appeared behind her, startling her.

"What are you reading?" I asked.

"A book," She said point-blankly.

"I know but what _kind _of book?" I asked curiously.

"It's about," – She paused, looking embarrassed – "Vampires." I took the book out of her hands and read the first few lines.

"'Look, Edward.' 'I murmured, my voice wheedling, when he paused to kiss the palm of my hand," –I said it all with over-dramatic passion, like a poet – "I said I would marry you, and I will. I promise. I swear," I started to read. Saki reached for the book and I held it up higher.

"'If you want, I'll sign a contract in my own blood.' 'Not funny' 'he murmured against the inside of my wrist," I kept going, realizing this was the juicy part, Hinata walked in, "What I'm saying is this – I'm not going to trick you or anything. You know me better then that. So there's really no reason to wait. We're completely alone – how often does that happen? – and you've provided this very large and comfortable bed…"

Hinata blushed, wondering what was going on. She must have thought I was talking to Saki. I couldn't see Saki's face but her ears went completely red.

"I'm reading aloud from her book," I explained. Hinata sighed in relief but looked strangely at Saki.

"I don't _want _to know what that book's about," Hinata said.

"Not every part is like that! That's like the only one like that, and you know Sasuke, always picking the perverted parts," Saki protested. I smirked at her evilly.

"That's some intense shit you go there," I muttered, leaving the room. She smirked. I was then in the room with a bed.

"Is there only one bed?" I asked Kurenai, who was sitting on that bed. She nodded.

"So… I guess I'll be sleeping on the floor tonight?" I asked. She nodded again. Wow. She's rather… antisocial. Hinata came in behind me and I turned around.

"Um… Sasuke…" She said nervously. I raised my eyebrow at her.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm going… up town and I was wondering if you wanted to come, Saki doesn't," She explained. I shrugged in acceptance and we went to the door. Hinata turned the doorknob.

"What the…?" She muttered.

"What is it?" I asked her, breathing on her head, she was much shorter than me. I reached for the doorknob and I tried to open it.

"Hey Saki!" I called, "Come try this out!" She ran over and reached slowly for the doorknob. She turned it without luck. She held in her both her hands and shook it back and forth. She put her feet on the door and pushed away.

The doorknob came off with a _pop!_

"Way to go, idiot," I commented. Saki glared at me and let go of the doorknob.

"I'm having a shower," She said, scrunching her nose up. She walked into the bathroom and closed the door. I picked up the phone and clicked on the room service button.

"I see you've already figured out that it's locked. You're hostages," The man who answered said, hanging up.

"So?" Hinata asked me eagerly.

"We're hostages," I told her blankly. I walked around looked for Kurenai, I couldn't see her.

"H-how are we going to get out?" Hinata asked. I shrugged and sat down on a chair.

I had heard Kurenai and the hokage talking about how they knew we were going out to be hostages and they were sending back-up, so I found no reason not to be calm. We sat silently until Saki noisily came out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a hotel towel. I turned to look at Hinata, who had a stressed out look on her face.

"Calm down Hinata, I'm sure we'll be fine," I told her reassuringly. The phone then rang. I picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Who am I speaking to?" The voice asked. I decided to mock Kurenai's voice.

"It's Kurenai, why?" My girly voice was great. Thank god Saki wasn't over there to make fun of it.

"Kurenai, it's Kakashi, we've killed everyone down here, what floor are you on?" He asked. I smirked. Kakashi-sensei.

"Second floor, about three doors down," I explained. Kakashi hung up.

"Kakashi's coming, it's all good," I told them. There was a look of great relief on Hinata's face. I looked over to see Saki scolding the camera. Wait. Scolding? _Camera_!? Since when has there been a camera. She punched it, realizing it was made out of steel. She frowned and held her fist. I was about to walk over to her when the door broke open, revealing Kakashi. I turned on my sharingan and analyzed him. Through it he looked like a puff of chakra. I threw a kunai, knowing it was a clone. Kurenai, Gai, Rock Lee, and Shikamaru all stepped out. Saki stepped behind me, holding her bag that carried her glasses and her book. She now wore a light pink dress and her shoulder-length hair was in pigtails that made her look like a little kid.

"You passed!" Kurenai said with a smile.

"Yes!" Saki screamed with glee, she paused, "What did we pass?"

"We were testing your abilities to handle a situation like that, and you reacted just as I expected," Kurenai explained. Saki eyed her suspiciously.

"We knew Sasuke was listening to our conversation, and Sasuke reacted as expected, calm," Kurenai explained, "We knew Saki would get really angry, and we knew Hinata would panic, but trust Sasuke's word." I smirked.

"So we were all fooled," I said. Kakashi nodded.

"That's right, you're all so easy to trick!" He said. I pointed to Rock Lee and Shikamaru.

"What are _they_ doing here?" I asked.

"Dramatic effect," Kakashi said.

"Not me, I just wanted to see the look on Sasuke's face," Shikamaru said. I furrowed my brows and we left.

* * *

Once we were all out of the village we set up camp. Gai, Lee, Kakashi, and Shikamaru brought their own tent, so sleeping arrangements were basically the same as the night before. Lee ran off to find some food. 

Kakashi put some sticks together for a fire and turned to me. I did a few hand signs and used a small fireball jutsu to light the fire. Lee came galloping back with a whole bunch of fish in his hands. Kakashi put them on the fire to cook. He turned to us.

"How are we supposed to do this without a fillet knife?" Kakashi asked, looking warily at the crinkling fire.

"Behold!" Gai screamed, pulling a fillet knife from god knows where, "My trusty fillet knife!" Rock Lee beamed up at Gai.

"Gai-sensei! Good thinking!" He yelled.

"One should always carry a fillet knife around," Gai explained, trying to sound smart. Saki looked closer at the knife. I knew she was restraining herself, but then out came this little outburst;

"That's _the _most amazing knife ever!" She blurted out. She gawked at it more.

"You're _not_ having it," Kurenai warned.

"God knows what you'd do with it," I muttered, hands in my pockets. Saki laughed nervously.

I could just imagine her with that knife, running around and "accidently" killing people.

Ugh, I am _never _letting her get a knife like that.

After our fish (which didn't even taste the good by the way, but I didn't say anything) everyone decided it was time to go to bed. I went into the tent and I stripped down to just my shorts, seeing Hinata and Saki huddling together for warmth. I smirked and left, I needed to think anyway, and I didn't want to wake them up. I went to the hot springs and jumped in. The warm water rushed to my face and made my cheeks burn, but it felt great once I got used to it.

I didn't know what to think of my new team. Saki was just like Naruto, with random outbursts, and she had Sakura's temper. Hinata wasn't like anyone on my old team, she didn't obsess over me and no one on my old team was at _all _shy.

I relaxed more, starting to feel the steam on my face, it was refreshing.

The only downside of my new team was that I was the only guy, so I_ know_ that the first we'll do in a new town is go to the "spa" or something stupid like that. I hoisted myself out of the water, starting to feel dizzy from the heat. I sat on the side to dry, I didn't want to sleep in the tent with wet shorts, Saki already thinks I'm a bed-wetter (for some reason…

* * *

_**Here you can listen to Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol**_

_**OR:**_

_**SOS - Jonas Brothers**_

_**Whatever floats your boat. **_

* * *

I leaned back and looked up at the starry night sky. I heard a noise in the bushes and I thought Saki was planning a surprise attack but she just leisurely walked over. 

"No insane ugly beast stuff?" I asked her as she sat down beside me.

"Saki the ugly beast hinter is off duty, besides, all she's sees in front of her is Sasuke Uchiha, the local hottie," She explained. Why the sudden change in attitude? It must be some sort of evil plan. I _know_ it is.

"Not that I think he's much to look at," She added. I narrowed my eyes at her. Now there's the Saki we know and love. We? More importantly, _love_!? You're losing it Sasuke.

"Well, the hunter isn't the prettiest person in the world either," I retorted. I needed to say _something_.

"So… what do you think of your new team Sasuke?" She asked me. A normal conversation, where is this coming from!?

"Hinata's quiet, that's good," I explained.

"That's funny!" Saki said, "That's the first thing I thought of her too!" I smirked.

"And, Kurenai's okay, a little creepy though," I told her.

"What about Saki the ugly beast hunter?" Saki asked.

"She's okay I guess, although, sometimes she can be really winey," I complained with a smirk. Saki pushed me gently.

"I know Sasuke, you're probably wondering how I can keep up a normal conversation," She said, (I _told _you she could read minds!) "And it's hard, but I can do it once in a while."

"To be honest, I… I like mental Saki better," I admitted. She smiled sweetly at me.

"So do I," Saki said. There was a long pause.

"So, do you have multiple personality syndrome too?" She asked.

"Well, ever since I met you, it seems like I do."

"How so?"

"Well, today I had a conversation with myself, and I called you a lost lamb." She snorted with laughter at this.

"Wait a minute! Sasuke, Are you… blushing?" I looked away.

"Uh, no!" I said nervously. Come on redness, go back down, go away.

"It's… the heat… from the hot springs," I explained nervously.

"Sasuke dearie, you're blushing and that's that," Saki said. I turned to her and smirked.

"Sorry about today…" Saki mumbled.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I didn't mean to… punch you… I was being a little… I'm sorry," She whispered. I shrugged it off.

I looked down at the damp ground and for some reason I had the impulse to grab it, but I didn't do it because I don't give in to peer pressure.

Peer pressure from who?

You, my other personality.

So you mean yourself.

Shut up.

"Umm, let's go back to the campsite," I said, getting up.

"Wait! Sasuke!" Saki called. She got up and put her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. I blushed slightly but controlled it. She smirked and I think she noticed, but she didn't let go.

"Saki… why are you hugging me?" I asked her.

"You're so warm, how do you get so warm!?" She exclaimed.

"Hot springs," I said. She pulled away and I looked closer at her. Her hair was a mess and she was wearing a scary tube top again because of the poison ivy. I felt bad for that.

"Sorry about the poison ivy," I apologized.

"Oh it's nothing, that kind of stuff happens to me a lot," Saki said. I smirked.

"Probably." Saki scrunched up her nose. I've noticed that she does that a lot. We finally made it to the tent.

"Hinata!" Saki exclaimed, "Sasuke _has _to sleep in the middle! He's so warm!" Hinata nodded excitedly. I lay down beside Hinata and she lay to my right. I put my arm behind her. Saki lay down on my left and she wrapped her arms around me and lay her head on my bare chest, falling asleep almost immediately. I smiled warmly, blushing a bit – thank god she didn't see, she'd probably make a big deal out of it – and looked at Hinata, who was asleep too. I immediately had to go to the bathroom, but I held it in.

"Please don't wet the bed Sasuke," Saki murmured in her sleep. Okay, she _has _to read minds! I lay there for a while, my eyes slowly drooping. I looked down to Saki whose cheeks lit up with the warmth of my body. I wanted to reach out and touch her hair, but I didn't do it.

She's not a dog, idiot.

Shut up. I wasn't going to do it.

Well why would you want to pet her in the first place?

I don't know! Okay!?

I know.

Why then?

I'm not telling.

Why?

Because you'd get mad.

Whatever.

After that little kerfuffle, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**_So, another chappie up! _**

**_If I'm lucky I'll even finish another one today! I'm home from school because I feel like "a bus ran over me and then gagged me with a dead chipmunk". _**

_**And I'm going to start naming the chapters with names of songs, just for fun! **_

_**Anyways, R & R!**_

_** - - Suzuki Yumi '.' **_


	5. Shooting Star

**_Hello my children! Alright, so I got pretty darn sick and I couldn't write another chapter, and I'm still sick, but I felt an obligation to fill the underlying suspense... if that makes any sense..._**

**_Anyways, here you go, chapter five (from Saki's point of view)_**

**_- - Suzuki Yumi '.'  
_**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_Saki - _

I awoke the next morning to a terrifying flash, realizing that someone had taken a picture. I noticed I was in Sasuke's arms. Was I on drugs or something last night or just in an impulsive mood? Whatever.

Sasuke jumped up.

"If that picture gets out, what will the fan-girls think!?" Sasuke screamed.

"Oh, so you care about losing fan-girls?" I asked him.

"No!" He protested, "I care about _you guys_! They'll probably kill you!" He paused for a moment.

"I wouldn't put it past Sakura," He mumbled. I laughed.

"We're ninja, okay, we can take them," I explained, "Besides, they're too busy stalking you to train." Sasuke paused, turning to me with a confused expression.

"…They stalk me?" He asked puzzlingly. I decided to lie.

"Uh… no," I said as if he was an idiot for not knowing I was "joking". Its better he doesn't know anyway.

I went out of the tent and I looked up at Kakashi nervously, remembering last night and shuddering. I had a little flashback;

_I snuck through the bushes in the dead of night, scurrying over to Kakashi, Gai, Shikamaru, and Rock Lee's tent. I snuck around back, knowing that they had put their stuff there. I reached around until I felt something sharp. Yes! The knife! I started to pull it out when I heard someone behind me. Kakashi appeared._

_I should have known! Him and Gai are jounin for god sake's!_

"_Stealing is bad Saki," He scolded. I looked closer and his mask was off. I don't feel the need to explain what was under there but the blood rushed to my face. I dropped the knife and ran through the trees, seeing Sasuke._

I _really _wanted that knife. I swear I almost started crying right there.

Kurenai got out and arranged us (As in Sasuke, Hinata, and I), in a little half-circle around her.

"Okay, we're going to do a little survival test," Kurenai said, "Saki, go with Sasuke, Hinata, I've assigned rock Lee to go with you." I frowned for Hinata, but then I realized who I was put with.

"Why am I always put with Sasuke for crap like this!?" I yelled.

"Saki, I've never put you with Sasuke for anything," Kurenai said, "Besides, you two need to start getting along." I crossed my arms, realizing she was right, well, not about the getting along thing, I… think we already do.

"So, I trust you all have your survival tools," Kurenai continued. We all nodded confidently, but I was still angry about being with Sasuke, I need some girl time! Oh well, I wouldn't be able to bear seeing Sasuke put with Rock Lee, their personalities completely clash, the poor kid would probably kill himself before it all was over.

"Konoha is about 200 miles from here!" Kurenai exclaimed. I scoffed.

"That's like two _days _of traveling!" I protested.

"You'll need tents," Kurenai explained, ignoring me. She passed Sasuke our tent bag. "Good luck."

Hinata waved goodbye to me, giving me a look that said; "good luck, you're going to need it". I gave her the same look. Rock Lee is as difficult, if not, more, than Sasuke.

"We will see you in two days!" Rock Lee called, taking Hinata and leaving.

"Konoha is south-east of here…" Sasuke muttered, pulling out a compass. He started walking in that direction. I scurried up to him, muttering stuff about how stupid Kurenai is. I expected Sasuke to turn around and tell me to stop complaining, but instead he said, "I really _that_ bad?" I smirked.

"No, I'd just rather go with Hinata," I explained.

"Well, I, for one, _wanted_ to go with you," Sasuke said. That bit of information shocked me, actually, I felt like I was I was rocked down to my core. I raised my eyebrow skeptically. He seemed to notice because he responded immediately.

"It's entertaining when you're here," He said, shoving his hands in his pockets, "It's never boring." I smiled. Sasuke jumped up into the trees and I jumped after him. It was mainly silent for the day, which I found unnerving, I'm not sure about what he thought though. Anyway, by sundown we were setting up the tent. Yes! One tent for both of us! Can you say awk-ward?

I had to change so I went inside the tent. I took a little mirror out of my bag and I slowly lifted up my shirt, counting the scars on my stomach area (I do it every night, okay?). I frowned sadly, remembering how I got those scars. I remembered the horrible pain inside and out. Inside being that he made me _watch _my parents die, and outside that he was slowly breaking all my bones. The worst night of my life. Sasuke came in and I quickly pulled my shirt back down.

"What were you doing, looking at yourself?" He asked skeptically. I was actually getting teary-eyed because I thought about that night, so I got up and left Sasuke to do whatever he was doing. I sat out by some trees, curled up into the fetal position. Sasuke came and sat beside me.

"What's wrong?" He asked. I looked away form him, mumbling that he "wouldn't understand". I was surprised when Sasuke grabbed my chin and turned me toward him. Voices from the bushes broke the moment.

"Ohmygod he touched her!" A girl voice said, probably one of the stalkers.

"Shut up Ino you pig!" Another voice said, I heard a punching sound. Ino and Sakura. He ignored them, I guess.

"You wouldn't understand!" I exclaimed, "Your sister didn't betray your family, you weren't slowly tortured until you were almost dead!" – I paused to see his reaction – "So just _stop_!" I started to walk away when Sasuke grabbed my wrist. I felt his pinky circling my palm and I wondered what the _hell _he thought he was doing, but I said nothing. He pulled me behind the tent, away from the stalkers and he sat me on the ground in front of him.

"Saki…" Sasuke mumbled. I looked up at him and he hugged me.

"My brother killed my clan and left me because I was too weak…" He explained, still wrapping his arms around me, "So I know almost exactly how you feel." He pulled away and I looked at him happily, wiping a tear from my eye. I few of my tears had gotten on his face and glistened from the moonlight. I reached across to him and wiped them away, slowly leaning in as if to kiss him. I didn't know why I was doing it, but I was.

Within seconds, I found my head between his legs. I bounced back and Sasuke jumped up, blushing madly. He held a defensive pose and his nose twitched in disgust. I got up, tears in my eyes, and I ran to the tent.

He had pulled away abruptly; he was probably disgusted by me.

I pulled on some short and I slipped my shirt off, pulling out a pajama shirt. I couldn't get the buttons done up all the way because of my chest. I scrunched up my nose and I tried desperately to get the shirt on. Sasuke came in, looking at me strangely. I thought of how I must look. To a pervert I would look lovely.

I shuddered.

I don't think that's what Sasuke's into. Unless he's a pedophile in disguise!

I finally got the buttons done up but then the center one popped off, rendering the shirt useless.

"Crap!" I exclaimed. I pulled the shirt off and grabbed a tank top out of my bag.

It's funny how Sasuke doesn't even find it odd that a girl is changing right in front of him and muttering stuff about her "stupid boobs". After I got the tank top on I looked at myself in my mirror. I looked like the perfect prey for a rapist. Time to test my pedophile theory.

I went outside and sat on the mildly wet grass. I looked up at the moon that seemed to be glowing brighter than ever today. I felt the grass shift and I knew Sasuke was beside me.

"I'm sorry…" I muttered.

"Not your fault."

"But-"

"Don't apologize."

"I didn't mean to… I don't know what came over me…"

"Saki, it doesn't matter." There was a long awkward silence.

"I have an idea," Sasuke said. I looked at him expectantly.

"Let's play a game," He said. I kept staring at him.

"We'll each ask each other five questions," Sasuke said, "And we have to answer _four _truthfully, got it?"

"And no cheating," Sasuke said. I stuck out my hand for a handshake and he shook it warily.

"You start," I told him.

"Why did you try to kiss me?" He asked. Darn it, he's a tricky one. I didn't want to have to lie on my first one. Ah! It's probably a trick and he'll be sending me worse ones later!

I'll have to tell the truth then.

"Well, I wasn't quite sure why… it may because you're the first person I've really… "connected" with in five or so years…" I mumbled. Sasuke smirked.

"Your turn," He commanded. I decided to be a sneaky little bum.

"Why did you pull away from my kiss?" I asked. He paused for a moment.

"I… I guess I just was scared or something," Sasuke said, looking up to the sky, "I've never been one to "connect" with people much either." I smiled.

"Where'd you get that scar on your forehead?" He asked. Okay, I won't lie here.

"When I was little and my family died, the man who killed my parents tortured me, breaking most of the bones in my body, one every hour. Once he had broken all my ribs, both arms and one leg, he pressed his sword against my head harder and harder until he had almost broken through my bone and into my brain, and then my sister saved me," I explained.

"If your sister saved you why do you want to kill her?" He asked.

"If your brother spared you why do you want to kill _him_?" I retorted. Sasuke shrugged, realizing my point.

"Okay, what's the whole story behind your clan's slaughtering?" I asked him. He seemed to cringe at the word "slaughtering".

"My brother killed them and then used his new all-powerful sharingan to show me their deaths. He then left me, saying I needed more "hate" and that I could try to kill him some day," Sasuke explained.

"Now tell me the rest of your story, why do you want to kill your sister?" Sasuke asked.

"You see," I started, looking up at the sky, "We used to be a large, unheard-of clan. There were many secrets in our clan that I didn't know, like why they killed off every third generation." Sasuke looked shocked to hear that one.

"But anyway, slowly but surely, every time someone had a second or third kid, they disappeared right after birth, and if people already had two or more kids, they would just take all of the oldest ones and leave only the youngest one, " I started, "I later found out Orochimaru was using our clan for experiments." Sasuke nodded slowly, understanding.

"Eventually, my family was the only one left. I had been born in secrecy and my oldest sibling, my brother, had been taken. My sister left right after they took him. That was five years ago," I told him, "After she saved me she told me that mom and dad knew the killer was coming and sent her off, and they would just pass off my death as hers since nobody knew about me. She explained that they valued her over me and she gave me all the reasons why she was better than me. She said she wanted me to grow strong and carry the pride of the Kumagaya clan on my back. She told me that one day, she would fight me, to the death."

"Looks like we both have people to kill," Sasuke stated.

"My turn," I told him slyly.

"Have you ever had a crush on someone?" I asked him playfully.

"No," Sasuke said blankly.

"You?" He asked. I shook my head defiantly. I don't know why, but there was this tugging feeling that we were both lying on those last two.

"I don't know what else to ask," I said to Sasuke. He smirked.

"Whatever," He said, getting up.

"Hold it right there Muppet!" I exclaimed. He stopped.

"I thought of what to ask you!" I said. The air was tense and it all seemed so serious.

"Are you a pedophile in disguise?" I asked him. Sasuke burst into laughter, yes, _laughter_! I eyed him cautiously.

"Who are you and what have you done with our Sasuke!?" I asked. He laughed harder, falling to the ground. I reached around and I picked up a twig, poking him with it until he stopped.

"That hurts!" He exclaimed, grabbing the twig and snapping it in half. I put on a pouty look. Sasuke ran hastily back to the tent and I ran after him, tackling him. I lay on top of him, one strap of my tank-top slipping down to my arm.

"Saki the Ugly Beast Hunter succeeds with capture of Muppet," I said, out of breath. I lay awkwardly against Sasuke bare chest. Sasuke placed me on the right side of the tent, obviously realizing how tired I was.

* * *

I woke up the next morning with Sasuke's blanket covering me. I felt really guilty. I didn't want to, but I groggily got out of the tent because I smelled food. I wrapped myself in my blanket for fear of the morning cold. I saw Sasuke huddled over a fire. I placed his blanket on him. 

"I made eggs," He said blankly.

"Where'd you find e-" I started to inquire.

"I brought them," He said. He passed me a plate with two eggs and then he passed me a fork. I started eating.

"Wow Sasuke! You can _cook_!" I praised him.

"I originally wanted to be… a cooking ninja," He mumbled, blushing slightly.

"That's cute!" I exclaimed, hugging him, "Sasuke Uchiha, cooking ninja – bringing delicious food to ninja everywhere!"

"Get off of me," He said coldly. Multiple personality syndrome much?

The rest of it we ate in silence. As much as I hated silence it was good sometimes, and I needed today's silence. I thought for a moment about yesterday. It was… a strange day, well, night, whatever.

"Time to go," Sasuke said, starting to pack up. Iran to the tent and picked close out for that day. I decided to wear my favourite outfit.

I pulled on the dark pink skirt that came to my knees. Over the skirt I wore a white skirt-like thing that came to about half-way down the skirt. I then slipped on my light pink shirt and my white gloves, completing the outfit. I put a headband in my hair and I walked out with my bag of stuff to see that Sasuke just needed to pack the tent.

When he finished packing the tent we jumped into the trees and headed out. We were totally silent the whole way. After I while, I started to think of it as a competition to see who could be the quietest.

We were jumping along for a few hours when I tripped and fell out of the tree. I quickly went upright and landed, using my chakra to hold me up, but the tree was so high up that the impact of the fall hurt my leg. I took another step and I stepped straight into a trap that laced a rope around my ankle.

"Shit!" I yelled as I got pulled up, hanging upside-down from the tree by the rope. All the stuff that was in my bag fell out.

"Sasuke!" I called angrily, "Get me down from here!" He stood underneath me, smirking. I looked up to see that my skirt had fallen down. I tried to cover myself but I couldn't.

"Sasuke!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. He threw a kunai hat cut the rope and I fell to the ground with a plop. I walked causally over to Sasuke and slapped him across the face.

"What was that for!?" He asked angrily.

"For not looking away," I said bluntly, gathering my book, my glasses, and my hair accessories and putting them in my bag.

We kept going along in silence. Angry silence, might I add. My legs started to hurt like crazy and I dropped to the ground. Sasuke rushed over, observing my lower leg.

"You must have muscle damage from the impact of the fall," He said, looking at my face, "I guess I'll have to carry you." He picked me up, slinging my bag over his shoulder. Actually, the bag's more of a purse, but purses suit Sasuke. He carried me back to Konoha.

* * *

"Hey Kiba!" I called when we entered Konoha, waving madly. Kiba looked to Sasuke, who frowned sourly, making it seem like it was a pain to carry me. 

"You're heavier then I thought," Sasuke said, letting me down gently. I furrowed my brow but then I grabbed my bag from him and I ran to Kiba, my legs searing with pain. I started to fall half way there and Kiba caught me.

"Why hello there," I said with a smile, looking up at Kiba. He stood up and put my arm around his neck, helping me to the hospital. I didn't get why Sasuke couldn't, but whatever. Once at the hospital, I was taken to room number seven, the last one I was in. Kiba came in and sat on the bed Sasuke occupied the last time.

"So how was survival training?" He asked.

"Sasuke can cook!" I blurted out. Kiba went wide-eyed.

"I'm _not _busting your chops hon," I said, putting my arm around him. Kiba smiled.

"Are Hinata and Rock Lee back yet?" I asked. Kiba shook his head.

"I think Sasuke may be a pedophile in disguise," I said. Kiba looked confused.

"Long story," I said like that was a good enough explanation. A nurse came in.

"Naruto's here to see you," She said, opening the door. Naruto tackled me, hugging me.

"Saki you're okay!" He exclaimed.

"Yes… I am… Want to get off me?" I said awkwardly. He jumped off, smiling at Kiba. The door opened again, revealing Hinata.

"Saki!' She exclaimed with a smile.

* * *

After all of those lovely hellos the doctor just came in and told me to "rest at home". So, I went home and lay on my couch, being bored. After about half an hour, I got an idea. 

I reached for the phone, dialing Hinata's phone number. Neji answered.

"Hello Neji is Hinata there?" I asked.

"Yes, may I ask who's calling?" He asked politely. I giggled.

"You sound so polite on the phone Neji. It's Saki," I said. I could heard him muttering something like "who the hell is Saki" but I ignored it.

"Hello?" Hinata asked in her quiet voice.

"Hinata. It's Saki. What do you say we do that sleepover thing at my house? Invite Ino, Sakura, and Tenten," I said.

"You know, I heard Temari's in town…" Hinata mumbled.

"Invite her too if you want, just come to my house before 5:00!" I said with a smile.

I knew this would be fun.

* * *

**_Here we go! Another brilliant chappie! Crappy ending though._**

**_PUH-leez be honest in your reviews, was this too soon for her to try and kiss him?_**

**_Because I just don't know anymore! _**

**_- - Suzuki Yumi '.'_**


	6. Poison

**_A new chappie! _**

**_I'm so excited for Saki, her first slumber party! Okay, well, just read it._**

**_ - - Suzuki Yumi '.' _**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Around 4:30 there was a knock on my door.

"Come in!" I called. All the girls rushed in carrying their sleepover things, Hinata, then Tenten, then Temari, then Sakura and Ino.

Ino and Sakura annoy me. I really don't have anything against them except the fact that they stalk Sasuke. Oh well, we all have our hobbies, theirs just happen to involve stalking an ugly beast.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Sakura squealed.

"I love your skirt Saki!" Ino said excitedly. I smiled sweetly.

"You can put your stuff on my bed," I told them.

"So what are we going to do first?" Hinata asked.

"I don't know, I've never had a sleepover in my life, I was hoping you'd tell me," I said. Ino, Sakura, and Tenten exchanged knowing glances and before I knew it I was getting a makeover. Ino was doing me and Sakura was doing Hinata.

"Naruto likes girls who wear a _little _bit of makeup," Sakura explained, rambling on about her own makeup escapades. Temari and Tenten were just talking on my bed. Good. Everyone's having fun.

Ino observed me.

"So, I saw you and Sasuke together," She said, slightly coldly. I went stiff.

"Yeah we were together for a two-day survival test," I said. Ino sighed dreamily.

"Lucky…" She whispered, leaning on the chair until she fell off, landing flat on her face on the ground. I suppressed my laughter.

"What do you see in Sasuke anyway? He's not even that great," I said. Hinata giggled.

"What!?" I snapped. She stopped and I smiled, pleased with myself.

"He touched you!" Ino screamed in my face.

"Okay… and?" I asked.

"What did it feel like!?" She exclaimed. Sakura came to listen too.

"Umm, like a person touched my chin…?" I muttered.

"There has to be more," Ino said.

"What did his skin feel like?" Sakura added.

"Umm… soft… and… warm?" I mumbled.

"Ah! Like a baby's bottom!" Sakura said, rubbing her hand against her cheek. Everyone stopped what they were doing to give her a weird look.

"What else happened?" Ino asked to break the silence.

"Nothing," I said.

"But he carried you home," Temari put in. I glared at her. Stupid people and their stupid observe-full…ness…

"I damaged my leg muscles," I stated blankly.

"How?" Tenten asked.

"A trap picked me up by my ankle and hung me upside-down from a tree," I explained.

"But wouldn't you skirt have-?" Hinata asked in shock. I nodded solemnly.

"That sounds really embarrassing," Tenten said.

"I didn't find it embarrassing, I just screamed 'Sasuke!' until he let me down, but then he had to carry me," I said.

"I think Neji's just the hottest…" Tenten muttered. Ino and Sakura glared at her and I turned to her with interest.

"What do you like about Neji?" I asked her tentatively.

"Well he's so strong, and he's actually nice to me and acknowledges my ability," She explained. I smiled at her.

"So, let's go around and say who everyone has a crush on or at least is their best guy friend," I proposed. Sakura and Ino turned to me at the same time, narrowing their eyes and saying, "Sasuke" at the same time.

"N-n-Naruto," Hinata said shyly. We all turned to Tenten. She sighed lovingly.

"Neji," She said. We turned to Temari.

"Best guy-friend? Shikamaru," She said. I raised my eyebrow.

"Nothing more," She said. Everyone turned to me.

"Um… I don't have a crush so best guy friend? Kiba… or maybe Naruto… or _possibly _Sasuke depending on what you consider a friend," I said.

"Which one is it?" Temari demanded.

"Well, I 'connect' the most with Kiba, I've known Naruto the longest, and I'm around Sasuke the most," I said.

"Based on that information, who here thinks it's Sasuke?" Temari asked. Temari, Ino, and Sakura (reluctantly) raised their hands.

"Kiba?" She asked. Hinata and Tenten raised their hands and then, to even it out, I did too.

"Saki doesn't seem like the type to get a crush, and I've seen her with Kiba," Hinata explained.

"I haven't, I just can't see anyone with Sasuke," Tenten said.

"So it's settled, it's Sasuke," Temari stated, making it final.

"Why would you think that?" I protested, "He's annoying, and not to mention ugly, and… and… he's… probably one of my best friends."

"Exactly," Temari said proudly. I scrunched up my nose.

"I did agree with the Sasuke thing, I just didn't want to get on Saki's bad side," Hinata said quietly. I smiled at her.

"Hinata, you, of all people, will _never _be on my bad side," I assured her, turning to Temari, "_You_ however!" She smirked.

"I have to go to the washroom," I announced, getting up.

"Mind if I tell them the story?" Hinata asked. I knew she was talking about the hot springs so I nodded in approval and walked to the bathroom.

When I was finished I walked past the window, hearing hushed whispers. I jumped out the window.

"Sleepovers are no fun, I always thought the girls took their clothes off and danced and stuff," Kiba said to Naruto.

"I can't even hear anything, oh well, it's good to respect their privacy," Naruto said. Oh, I guess he noticed.

"The one from the sand looks _nice_," Kiba said, talking about Temari. And then he finally realized it. He finally realized that I was standing right behind him. I punched his head and he fell limply into my arms.

"Do you want me to knock _you _out too?" I asked Naruto, "Scat!" Naruto ran off into the forest. I dragged Kiba to the window. It took a lot of effort, that fat little bastard.

I'll apologize to him later for saying that.

I mean… thinking… that…

Okay whatever.

"Girls, look who I found!" I called, throwing Kiba through the window and pulling myself up too. Hinata gasped.

"Kiba!" she exclaimed, "What are you doing here?" He made an odd grunting noise in return.

"That peeping _tom_!" Tenten screamed, grabbing her ninja tools.

"His name is Kiba, idiot!" Ino scolded.

"It's a figure of speech, idiot!" Sakura yelled and Ino.

"Everyone shut up!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. They all turned to me.

"I have an idea," I said. They looked expectant. I looked down at Kiba's beautiful bruised head. His forehead was shining slightly from the single fluorescent bulb.

"Where's the make-up?" I asked slyly. They immediately understood.

* * *

I was utterly shocked when I realized that the pink lines on Kiba's face wouldn't come off, and then I realized that he was born with them. 

What a freak.

I feel bad for thinking that.

I'll apologize about that one too

* * *

"Anyone have a camera?" I asked. 

"I have my cell phone," Temari said. I smiled.

"Perfect," I said, she snapped a picture of it.

"Give me that phone," Ino said. Temari skeptically passed it to her.

"Sakura, get the timer," She said. Sakura grabbed out a timer and shouted, "Go!"

We all watched anxiously. The blue-ish glow of the screen reflected off of Ino's face and I saw a bead of sweat drop from her brow.

"Done!" She finally shouted.

"27 seconds!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Wow! I sent it to everyone in Konoha in 27 seconds, I beat your record Sakura," Ino said.

"You were always better than me with cell phones," Sakura admitted.

I raised my eyebrow at them.

I think texting is like and Olympic sport for them.

When we finished I looked around proudly. He had on a _lot _of dark blue eye shadow, very clumpy mascara, blush, and ruby red lipstick. He looked like a clown. It was scary. I held on to the closest, person, Temari, for emotional support. Tenten slapped him across the face to wake him up and I shoved a mirror in his face.

Kiba screamed like a little girl who just had her hair pulled by a bully. His expression matched that too. He jumped off the bed and cowered in the corner. He brought a shaking finger to the mirror.

"W-who is that?" He asked, trembling with fear.

"Kiba, it's you," I said, taking a loving, motherly tone.

"I look…. like a… like a clown!" He screamed. I went and sat beside him, rubbing my hand in circles around his back. Everyone gave me strange looks but I felt it was my obligation to calm him down.

"It's okay, I'm afraid of clowns too," I said in a soothing tone.

"There are no clowns here tonight," I half-sang, "No one's going to jump out and kill you."

"Yeah!" Hinata said confidently, "We'll protect you Kiba!"

"Send in the clowns!" Temari added. Kiba seemed to be getting better.

"There, is that better?" I asked him. He nodded and got up.

"How'd you guys know I was afraid of clowns?" Kiba inquired.

"We didn't," Sakura said.

"So you were just putting makeup on me for fun?" He asked.

"Yup!" I said with a smile. Kiba broke out into laughter and we all laughed along nervously, not getting what was so funny.

"Okay I'm going to leave," Kiba said, waving goodbye and leaving the room.

"Let's play truth or dare!" Ino exclaimed. I nodded approvingly and everyone else seemed to think it would be fun.

"I'll go first!" Sakura called. Everyone looked at her expectantly.

"Hinata, truth, or dare?" She said, raising her eyebrow.

"D-d-dare… I guess," Hinata said.

"I dare you to… Sneak in to Naruto's apartment and lay beside him in his bed," Sakura dared her. Hinata shook her head.

"But what if I wake him up?" She asked.

"He's a heavy sleeper," I told her. Hinata got up frightfully and walked out of my apartment door, with the rest of us following. She slowly opened Naruto's door (he never locks it) and crept in. We (meaning a hoard of giggling girls), followed cautiously behind her. She saw Naruto sleeping and she blushed.

Hinata stalked over to him and lay down to his left nervously, going completely red, I thought she was going to faint.

"Sakura…" Naruto whispered in his sleep, putting his arm around Hinata. Sakura blushed madly, looking sickened. She slowly walked over to Naruto, ignoring our protests, and she punched him on the head. He jumped up.

"Sakura I was just dreaming about you!" He exclaimed. She clenched her fist. He didn't even seem to notice Hinata, who was now crawling across the floor to us.

"I can tell…" She said angrily.

"Hay Naruto we're playing truth or dare want to come!?" I asked to break the tension.

"Umm…" He said nervously, "Sure!" He followed us back to my house and we all sat in a circle on the floor.

"Hinata's turn," I said. Hinata blushed.

"Temari…" She muttered nervously, "Truth or dare?"

"I don't trust you guys," She said coolly, "Truth."

"How close are you and Shikamaru?" Hinata asked, "And has anything ever happened between you two?"

"You could say we're close friends and the worst that's happened is I hugged him," Temari said truthfully. I laughed, imagining Shikamaru hugging someone/being hugged.

"Temari's turn," Hinata said happily.

"Saki, truth or dare?" She asked. I wasn't sure which I should say. I paused for a moment.

"Dare," I finally said. Ino did a little arm-pump thing and whispered something to Temari.

"I dare you to go to Sasuke's house and get him to invite you in for at least half an hour. We won't watch what happens, we'll just make sure you stay in there," Temari said. I smirked. This would be easy. I walked over to my dresser.

"What is she doing?" Tenten asked.

"Knowing Saki, she already has a plan," Naruto said confidently. I smiled sweetly at him and took a nightgown out of my dresser, going to the bathroom and throwing it on. I looked down at my chest.

Perfect.

"You guys ready to go?" I asked them. Naruto gawked.

"What a game plan!" He complimented (not in the scary-Kiba-perverted-way). We ran along, snickering and giggling, to the Uchiha compound. I found my footing in the metal fence and I slowly climbed. When I made it to the top I jumped down, part of my nightgown ripped, making it even shorter. Perfect bait for Mr. Pedophile Uchiha. I stopped in front of his door, giving him my best sad face. I turned to the rest of the girls, and Naruto, who were behind the fence right near me.

"Promise you won't watch," I told them.

"I want to hear you say 'I swear to god that I won't watch'" I said. They repeated it.

"Now I'm going to do this with_out_ degrading myself," I explained. I went to the door and knocked loudly. A sleepy Sasuke opened it, rubbing his eyes.

"Saki, what time is it?" He asked. I forced tears to come to my eyes.

"Oh Sasuke!" I exclaimed, holding him against me.

"The most horrible thing happened, and I just didn't know who to go to!" I wailed. He slowly pried me off of him.

You're losing him Saki!

"I really just need someone to be with tonight," I said.

"Well it's not going to be me," He said, "find someone who cares, like Naruto." He onyx-coloured eyes showed deep concern, but his pride probably wouldn't let him show it. I put on an innocent face, putting my finger against my chin and looking up at him.

"Please Sasuke…?" I begged, letting my nightgown strap slip down to my arm. He rolled his eyes and invited me in. When we got inside I quickly pulled the strap up and sat on the couch. He went to go and get me some tea.

I looked around. It was very dark; everything had colours like dark red, black or purple, very emo. He had a nice king-sized bed that I was oh so tempted to jump on. When he came back in he passed me the tea.

"Sasuke…" I whispered. He sat beside me and sighed.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I'm going to be quiet because I think they're listening, but, we were playing truth or dare… Could you keep me here for oh…? I don't know… half an hour?" I asked him.

"Is that why you're wearing that?" Sasuke asked, gesturing toward my ripped nightgown. I nodded slowly.

"Sorry but I'm not into that," Sasuke said. I hugged him vigorously.

"Thank god! I thought you were a pedophile!" I exclaimed. He pushed me off of him and onto the floor. It was strange, but I never noticed until then that Sasuke has that normal guy smell, mixed with lemons… mmm… I like lemons…

"Sasuke!" I hissed, bouncing back into reality, "They might be watching, you have to at least pretend you care!" I got back up and I drank my tea in slow sips.

"Hey Sasuke…" I mumbled, "Can I jump on your bed?" He looked at me quizzically but it was too late. I jumped onto his bed and bounced up and down excitedly. Sasuke gave me a look like me jumping on his bed was something of whimsy and wonder.

"Are my womanly charms getting to you Sasuke?" I asked him, striking a pose with my hand behind my head. He shook his head, half-laughing.

"Womanly charms?" He asked skeptically.

"Who am I kidding," I said sadly, "You have more womanly charms then me."

"Oh, it's oka- WAIT!" Sasuke yelled, "What do you mean by that?"

"The other day when you were carrying me you carried my purse, and it seemed to suit you, carrying a purse," I explained.

"Are you calling me gay?" Sasuke asked.

"No, I'm calling you a woman, and if you're a woman, liking men is okay," I said bluntly.

"What makes you think I like men!?" Sasuke asked, I could see his eyebrow twitching, he was getting very angry.

"So you like women? Is there one woman in particular?" I nudged his side. He said nothing, seeming very emotionless all of the sudden. He kept staring at me. I looked down to see what was wrong and I realized that my nightgown had completely dropped to the floor. I gasped. I mean, it was okay because I had undergarments, but still.

"Sasuke you pervert!" I screamed at him, running toward him and holding my fist to his head. I stopped mid punch.

"I can't do it," I mumbled, dropping to the ground.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked. I laughed slightly.

"Sasuke, you're like poison," I said to him, smiling. He cocked his head to the side, confused.

"The more I hate you the more I like you," I said. I felt confused after saying that because I wasn't sure of the true meaning behind it. I didn't know what to expect from Sasuke. I had two theories as to his reaction;

1. He would go completely stiff and force me to leave

2. He would smirk and mumble something inaudible, and then we would sit in silence until I left

The final product was neither of those things. Sasuke looked at me like he didn't know what I was talking about. I looked up at him big eyes. He smirked.

"Good," He said. Now it was my turn to be confused.

"I can't have you hating me now can I?" He asked happily. I frowned. Not the reaction I was looking for. What _was _the reaction I was looking for?

I turned around on my heel to leave.

"It hasn't been half an hour yet," Sasuke said.

"Good day to you sir," I told him huffily. I set my tea on the bookshelf beside the door and I left.

Everyone was waiting behind the fence.

"That was pretty close," Sakura said, looking at her timer, "It'll pass." Everyone congratulated me but I didn't care. Naruto seemed to notice my discontent.

"Did something happen?" He asked.

"No… it's nothing," I protested. He shrugged it off.

On our dark walk home I realized, it really was something, something big.

My only response to my sudden realization was; shit.

* * *

_**And there we go, another chapter! Sorry if it was a bit... erm... rushed... but whatever.**_

_**More slumber party action in the next chapter (don't worry, it will finally end) I'm getting tired of writing parts with Ino and Sakura. **_

_**And Tenten, she annoys the hell out of me.**_

_**Anyways, R & R **_

_**- - Suzuki Yumi '.' **_


	7. Time Stands Still

**_Top of the morning to you children!_**

**_This chapter wasn't planned in any way so it may be a bit jumbled, I just kind of threw stuff together:P_**

**_So... I hope it's still suitable_**

**_- - Suzuki Yumi '.' _  
**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

When we made it back to my house everyone was tired so we sent Naruto home and they just talked a little until they slowly fell asleep. Tenten fell asleep first, then Hinata, then Ino, then Sakura, until it was only Temari and I.

"You know Saki…" Temari mumbled from my bed where Tenten was lying beside her, snoring.

"What?" I asked.

"I really do like Shikamaru," She said. I smiled.

"I thought so," I said. Temari slowly drifted off to sleep, leaving me all alone. I still felt a little discomfort from my earlier discussion with Sasuke, so I took the phone and walked to the bathroom.

He was the only person I could talk to, girls just get in the way in these situations.

I dialed the number and I waited for about three rings. The answering machine picked up.

"Yo it's Kiba, I'm probably on a mission or sleeping, so, leave a message," The voice said. There was a dog's bark (Akamaru) and then a beep. I thanked _god_ that Kiba had his own phone in his room. It'd be awkward to leave Kiba a message at five in the morning and have his parents hear it.

"Kiba, its Saki… I just needed… someone to talk to, so, if you get this message before 9:00 AM tomorrow morning, call me," I said, sounding sullen. I hung up and I moped, knowing he wouldn't get the message. The phone rang in my hand unexpectedly and I answered it.

"Hello?" I asked, expecting it to be Kiba.

"You won a trip for four to Mexico!" The voice said. I was about to hang up when I heard, "Saki! Saki it's me!" I smiled. He _did_get the message.

I put the phone back up to my ear.

"I called as soon as I heard it, it sounded serious," He said.

"I'm sorry Kiba, I don't know you very well, I just couldn't talk to a girl and Naruto would be stupid about it," I apologized.

"Don't say sorry, just tell me what's wrong," Kiba cooed. His voice was crackly from my crappy phone.

"Well, we were playing truth or dare and they dared me to try and get Sasuke to let me in his house for half an hour, so I got there and-" I started, Kiba cut me off.

"This sounds serious, I'll be there in five minutes," He said, hanging up before I could protest. Did he forget the gaggle of girls that are here?

Hehe.

Gaggle of girls.

Gaggle.

Gaggle.

….

Gaggle.

Okay I'm done.

I stepped cautiously over the sleeping girls, opening the door to my apartment and slipping into the hallway. I waited there for a few minutes and then I saw the faint silhouette that is Kiba.

He sat down beside me in the hallway.

"Explain," He commanded.

"Well, I told Sasuke about the truth or dare thing and told him to just keep me there half an hour. So we talked… a little. Then I jumped on his bed, just for fun," – I didn't tell Kiba about the way Sasuke looked at me – "We had a little argument about Sasuke being a woman and then… well, my nightgown fell down," I explained, blushing slightly. Kiba laughed, it sounded like bells ringing, and it was _so_ cool.

"Anyway, he kept staring, like he always does," I said huffily.

"Does this happen often?" Kiba asked.

"Well, there was the time I hang upside down wearing a skirt, and the time at hot springs, and today," I explained.

"Hot springs?" Kiba asked.

"Natural hot springs on our mission, I decided to jump off the waterfall and I lost my towel half-way down, exposing my 'upper body'" I told him. He nodded slowly.

"Anyways, he was staring so I went to punch him and I couldn't do it," I said, looking shell-shocked, "And then I told him he was like poison, that the more I hated him the more I liked him,"

"Are you sure you didn't say _love_?" Kiba asked.

"I'm pretty sure… I don't know, my memory is foggy," I said confusingly.

"And he just said, 'good, I can't have you hating me now can I?' as in, we need you for missions, and nothing more," I said with a mixture of anger and sadness, "And somehow I felt hurt by that, shut down." Kiba was silent.

"Did you veer think of the possibility that you might _like_ Sasuke?" Kiba asked me. I scoffed.

"Like I would like that loser!' I said, laughing heartily. Kiba smirked.

I tried to open the door to my apartment, but my efforts were in vain.

"Shit. Locked out of my own apartment," I said angrily, "We'll just have to use the window."

"We?" Kiba asked, raising his eyebrow.

"I always refer to myself as more than one person," I said, waving it off. I thought back to earlier when I pushed Kiba through the window. Tenten had closed it. That's the only window.

"I'm doomed," I said dramatically, sliding back down into a sitting position.

"Why?" Kiba inquired.

"Window's closed," I said, "We'll just have to camp out in the hall then."

"Too suspicious," Kiba warned.

"By 'we' I meant 'me'," I told Kiba. He laughed.

"Okay, I'll go," He said with a smile, waving goodbye.

"Thanks!" I called after him. I kept sitting there for a while, until I had a brilliant idea.

* * *

"Naruto…" I whispered, poking the blond boy in front of me. He groaned. 

"Naruto you dumb-ass!" I yelled, he opened one eye.

"Can I sleep with you?" I asked. He raised his eyebrow.

"I mean, no, can I sleep, in here! I locked myself out of my own apartment," I explained. Naruto sighed, smirking.

"Typical Saki," He said. He got off his bed and offered it me.

"You sleep in your bed Naruto," I demanded, "I can sleep… on the floor."

"You're the guest," Naruto said tiredly.

"You know what would solve everything?" I asked slyly. Naruto shook his head groggily, rubbing sleep out of his eye.

"If we both slept on the floor?" Naruto asked.

"Uhhh… no, if we both slept on the bed," I said.

"Wouldn't that be awkward?" He asked.

"I'm sure it will be fine," I assured him, I didn't want to risk the floor, I don't need back pains for our mission tomorrow. But I agreed, it _would_ be awkward. I lay down on the right say and Naruto lay on the left. It's funny, but I feel like Naruto is my gay friend, and I don't have to worry about him liking me.

Maybe it's because he likes Sakura.

Well whatever.

* * *

I woke up the next morning and rolled off of the bed, looking around and freaking out. 

But then I remembered that I fell asleep there last night.

So no one had raped me.

I hoped.

I jumped off the bed, seeing a sleeping Naruto. I smirked and left the room, knocking on my apartment door. It felt weird to knock on my own door.

Ino answered it.

"Hey Saki where were you? Well whatever guess what Sasuke called but he wouldn't tell me anything. What happened with you two in his house I wasn't watching, Sakura was but she wouldn't tell me what happened, something tells me it wasn't very in-depth otherwise you wouldn't have been so pissy afterward," - She somehow rolled that all into one sentence - "I wrote down his number on a piece of paper by the phone."

"How did you…" I was about to ask how she knew his phone number, but it's obvious, because she stalks him. I nodded slowly, tiredly, and I picked up the phone and a piece of paper that was beside it. I looked around the room to see that everyone but Ino and Tenten were still asleep, and Sakura was already gone because she had a mission today.

I let the sleeping ones be.

I was going to go in the bathroom but Tenten was there, so instead I shoved myself into my closet because it seemed more fun then sitting on the bed.

I dialed the number that was written on the paper (it was hard in the closed space).

"Hello?" A bored voice asked.

"Sasuke?" I asked.

"If you're a fangirl…" He mumbled threateningly.

"Haha! It's Saki!" I said cheerfully. Sasuke sighed, it sounded like it was in relief.

"Why did you call before?" I asked him.

"Kurenai has a mission for us," He explained, "There's a festival tonight; our mission is to go to it."

"That's the stupidest mission of all time," I said blankly.

"I know," Sasuke agreed.

"So what kind of festival is it?" I asked him, breaking the tension a bit.

"I don't know, but the "kage's" from each country are coming with their families and staying for a week, I guess they have it in a different village every year. It's to show our 'bonds' with the other villages, so we have to set a good example and dress nicely, we were asked to go by special request of the Hokage, I guess we're the best behaved and we're the only team going," Sasuke explained.

"Okay, what time will we meet?" I asked him curiously.

"Lunchtime," Sasuke said, pausing, "We can have lunch before we go."

"You're paying," I said playfully, hanging up. I opened the door to the closet and I tumbled out onto the floor. The phone dropped and the batteries rolled under the bed.

"Crap," I said, getting up and rubbing myself off. Everyone stared at me. I smiled innocently and turned to grab my yukata out of the closet. I only kept kimono, yukata, dresses, and supplies in there, not too much room in a small apartment. It was summer so a kimono would be too hot.

"Hinata we're going to a festival, wear a yukata," I commanded, "Meet for lunch at Sasuke's." She waved goodbye and left. I grabbed out my three yukata and lay them out on the bed.

"Which should I wear?" I asked Sakura. She looked closely at all three of them. The first was a soft-yellow one with a red obi made of lined material. The yukata was decorated in red and yellow flowers with light green leaves.

The next one was a white colour with an off-white obi that had light silver flowers on it. The yukata itself had dark pink flowers with pine-coloured leaves.

The third and last one was very plain. It was very light pink with a dark pink obi, nothing more.

Sakura immediately pointed to the plain one.

"You don't want to stand out too much," She said blankly. I picked it up and I went to the bathroom. I slowly undressed, stepping in to the shower and letting the water fall on me.

* * *

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel, picking up my brush. 

"Let me handle that," Temari said, taking it from my hands. She started to brush my hair while I vigorously brushed my teeth.

"The rest of them left," Temari explained. She kept brushing my hair, pulling it into a neat little bun.

"Ummm, Saki…" Temari said nervously as I got my yukata on. She started tying my obi.

"Yes?" I asked quizzically.

"You don't suppose I could stay here… all this week…?" She asked, "If it's too much of a hassl-"

"Nonsense," I said, "My home is your home." She smiled and finished. I picked up my fan and my hand purse off of a little table with a lamp on it and I went to the closet, digging through it to find my geta, wooden shoes with an elevated base and a flip-flop like strap. I slipped them on awkwardly.

"I feel like Jiraiya," I said, stepping out of the closet. He always wears geta, must be uncomfortable.

"I may not be here for missions, food's in the fridge an- Wait, why do you have to stay here all week?" I asked Temari. She smirked.

"Even though my father's dead, we're still the kazekage's children," Temari explained. I nodded. I had heard that the fourth Kazekage died, and I wasn't sure if it was true or not.

"And I don't really want to stay in a hotel with my brothers for a week," Temari added on the end. I smiled. I wouldn't either. A week with Gaara and Kankuro? No thanks.

"Well, if you need to borrow something more suitable to wear, feel free, we look about the same size anyway," I said, "I'm meeting my team for lunch, see you at the festival!" I shuffled along in my geta and I hurried to Sasuke's house. By the time I was outside I gave up and took the darn shoes off, jumping across the rooftops to the Uchiha Compound.

This time, the fence-door swung open, no fence-climbing for me. That made me sad.

I slipped my shoes back on and scurried to Sasuke's seeing Hinata at his door. I smiled to her and we both knocked. She was wearing a Yukata too. It was a light blue with pretty flowers on it.

Sasuke opened the door to face us.

"Hello," He said. He was shirtless. I couldn't help but feel my heart flutter a little, but I ignored it. He smirked and walked back into his house, leaving the door open. I assumed it was an invitation to come in, so I did, Hinata following.

Sasuke came back wearing a dark blue yukata that was slightly undone to reveal a black shirt. Not to the point where it was sloppy, but to the point where it said: "I'm a bad boy, _adore_ me fan girls!", and he wonders why they like him when he wears crap like that?

"Ready to go?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Have your money?" I asked. He rolled his eyes and we left.

* * *

I chose an especially expensive restaurant for us to dine in. 

I sat beside Hinata with Sasuke on the other side, slowly picking up a menu. I smiled slyly. The waiter (thank _god_ it was a man, otherwise the Kiba – waitress incident would probably be repeated) walked up. He pursed his lips.

"What would you like?" He asked politely.

"I'll have steak and the grand sushi," I said, smiling sweetly, "Oh, and water."

"Lemonade and the smallest, least-expensive sushi you have," Hinata said shyly. I waved my hand.

"Don't worry, Sasuke's paying," I told her. Sasuke glared at me and ordered what ever it was he wanted. The waiter left.

"So…" I said quietly after a while, playing with my cutlery. No one said anything. _Awk-ward! _

"Do you think the festival will be fun!?" Hinata asked to break the tension. Sasuke gave a hearty "hn" with a nod.

"Most likely, but everyone will expect us to be well behaved!" I said, laughing. The waiter passed us our drinks and muttered something about "food and eventually" before walking off. I sucked my water through I bright pink bendy-straw, making that annoying noise straws make. I looked around anxiously.

"I can't take it anymore!" I finally screamed, jumping up. People stared at me. I leaned down, placing my arms on the table.

"If someone doesn't talk soon, I'm _going_ to kill myself," I whispered harshly.

"No one would complain," Sasuke said. I slapped him on the back of the head and people looked over to me, shooting me sit-down-or-I'll-call-the-management-so-they-can-kick-you-out looks. I smiled innocently, sitting back down. I glared at Sasuke and he looked absent-mindedly out the window.

A little while later the waiter came with our food. Sasuke looked at my _huge _plate of sushi and steak that was double the size of him with a how-can-you-eat-that-much-and-still-be-skinny look. I smiled at him.

"I work out," Was all I said, and he immediately understood.

* * *

_The _number one most silent, death-glarey lunch ever! 

"We should go to the festival," Sasuke said, looking at his watch that I never knew he had. When we made it to the festival there were a bunch of smiling people, many around our age, greeting us. We were polite and always smiled back sweetly, sometimes asking how their village was and such. I clutched my purse tightly, nervously, the whole time.

"These are the representatives from Konoha," Tsunade said, pushing us onto a random stage. I almost fell on the way up, but it's all good. We stood on the stage smiling.

"Hello," I said nervously. Everyone stared at us.

"Welcome them!" Tsunade hissed behind us.

"Welcome to Konoha everyone, I hope you have a great stay here!" I said with a smile. We stepped.

"I think that went pretty well," I said, turning to glare at Hinata and Sasuke, "No thanks to you guys!" Temari ran up to us.

"Oh my god you guys! There's like stuff to do here! And food! And people are like, selling shit! I'm so excited!" She exclaimed.

"Temari! What did you eat… or drink?" I asked her, concerned for her mental health.

"Or smoke?" Sasuke added. I elbowed him.

"Umm, just punch, its _good_ punch you know. I like punch. Did you know that sometimes punch has little fruits in it? I didn't until today. But I didn't like the little fruits so I have them to Gaara," She said, jumbling it all into one sentence.

"How 'bout you go see Gaara?" I asked her. She nodded vigorously and left.

"Dear god…" Sasuke muttered. I laughed. Hinata saw her father and went off with him.

"Where to now mister?" I asked him, linking my arm with his.

"I don't know," He said, pulling his arm away like I was some sort of disease. I frowned.

"What's your problem today?" I asked him.

"Nothing," Sasuke said, creases his brow.

"P.M.S?" I asked him. Sasuke pushed me up against a tree angrily.

"No!" He said through clenched teeth. I bit my lip through the pain of his hands against my shoulders. He let go, looking away and mumbling "sorry".

"I don't know if your goal was to break my shoulder but you did a pretty good job," I said to him as he walked off. I ran up to him.

"Yeah, follow the guy who almost broke your shoulder," He said sarcastically.

"Sasuke you silly goose, I just don't want to be alone, and neither of us have family here, so we should stick together!" I said, smiling. He rolled his eyes and we walked around for a while, walking past Temari and her siblings. Temari ran up to us and hugged us both, giggling. I pried her off of us and directed her back to her brothers.

"You should control your sister," Sasuke said to Gaara.

"You have a problem with my sister?" Gaara asked defensively, uncorking his gourd.

"Gaara don't do this, he's not worth it," Kankuro said, holding Gaara back. He put the cork back on, glaring.

"You're right," He said, turning and leaving. Temari waved goodbye to us with a goofy smile, walking with her brothers. Sasuke kept glaring at Gaara and he grabbed my hand. We stormed away. Wait. Hold it. My _hand_!? He grabbed my hand?

"Sasuke…" I said quietly, looking at our clenched hands. I smirked a little as I saw Sasuke flush red, pulling his hand away.

I heard a strange movement in the leaves.

Ino jumped out and pointed at me.

"You! Trying to steal _my _man!?" She asked angrily. A girl with long black hair jumped out.

"Don't you mean _my _man?" The girl asked Ino.

"Shut up Manami," Ino commanded. The girl stopped all movement. Ino sauntered up to me and punched me in the face, preparing for a fight. That's it, I'd already snapped and we all knew it.

I smirked, pulling on my obi until my entire yukata fell off. I passed it and my shoes to Sasuke to hold. Underneath it I was wearing black pants and I black tee shirt. I slipped on my black gloves and pulled the pin out of my hair, letting it all fall down and graze my shoulders. Ino glared and jumped at me. I scraped her back with my pin, smiling satisfactory. Her shirt fell to the ground. She gasped.

"Bitch!" She yelled. She kept fighting. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sasuke, he was gawking at Ino.

I pointed to Sasuke angrily.

"Sasuke you pervert!" I exclaimed. I was pulled down by my hair. I looked up at Ino and I smiled innocently, not wanting her to hurt me any further.

I then punched her. She scratched my neck and before I knew it we were on the ground kicking and scratching.

"Whore!" I screamed. Ino kicked me.

"Excuse me!? Sasuke only likes you because you're one too!" Ino yelled, biting my arm. I winced.

"At least I don't _stalk him_ in my spare time! It's sad when you're so desperate you stalk them to see what they like!"

Sasuke came in the middle of us stood in between us. Ino stopped because she'd hurt Sasuke, I stopped because people had gathered to see.

* * *

Tsunade looked closely at us, seeming angry. Ino smoothed back her hair, her ripped shirt sitting on a chair In the corner. Thank god she was wearing a bra. 

"You idiots think you can ruin our relationships with the other villages!? This was supposed to tighten our bonds! And you destroyed this opportunity, damnit! Our village could have withered away because of you!" Tsunade screamed, she then softened her gaze, "You're lucky the other kage's are old farts who understand that teenagers can be teenagers."

* * *

We sat, backs against each other, in room number seven of the hospital. A nurse walked in. 

"Ino, you can go," She said, "Saki, you stay, you have damage in your shoulder blades and your nose is broken." I nodded. Ino left, turning around and sticking her tongue out at me.

Tsunade came in to heal my injuries.

"How did it happen?" She asked me. I blushed.

"Sasuke… ummm, well, she got jealous and punched me, and then it got out of hand," I said. Tsunade sat on the hospital bed to my left.

"Ino… she didn't hurt your shoulders did she?" She asked. I nodded, not lying very well.

"Saki…" Tsunade urged.

"Sasuke," Was all I said. I didn't want him to get in trouble.

"I was taunting him, I had it coming," I added, "I hurt _him_ all the time."

"Not to the point where you break bones, Saki," Tsunade stated. Okay, she made a valid point.

"Sasuke has a temper, so you have to be careful, sometimes he can hurt people when he's not even trying. I'm only telling you this because you're the closest person to him in the village," Tsunade said. I frowned, realizing it was true.

"Does it have to do with that mark on his neck?" I asked her. She ignored me, patting the bed and leaving.

I closed my eyes, close to sleep. The door opened and I opened my eye slightly, seeing a spiky-haired figure coming toward me.

"Sasuke?" I asked him curiously, "Did you come here _just _to see me?" He blushed madly, rubbing his arm behind his head nervously.

"Uh, _no_!" He assured me, lying, "I just happened to be in the building…"

"Seeing who?" I asked him, raising my eyebrow.

"Umm, my… cousin?" Sasuke lied.

"Sasuke, you don't _have _any cousins," I told him. He seemed to mouth "crap". I smiled, sitting up.

"So you _are _here to see me," I said, feeling the warmth spreading across my face. Sasuke hugged me.

"I'm glad you're okay," He said blankly, pulling away quickly. Wow. I had never seen him show so much emotion.

"Tsunade looked at my shoulders," I said blankly.

"And?"

"She asked about them."

"And?"

"I told her you did it." His face seemed to fall.

"And?"

"Nothing." I didn't want to tell him about the whole "temper" thing.

"Good," Sasuke said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I thought she would forbid me from seeing you or something," He said, looking relieved. I gave him a confused stare.

"I think you're growing on me Saki," Sasuke said with a half-smile. He slowly started to lean in and I prepared myself, a little scared. Actually, I wasn't prepared at all; I just couldn't make myself move. But, right before his lips pressed against mine Kiba came in. Sasuke quickly pulled away but it was too late, Kiba had seen him leaning in. Kiba looked horrified but then he smirked.

"I'll leave you two alone," he said, leaving. I was about to protest, but, too late. Sasuke kissed me gently on my right cheek and left. I rubbed my cheek slowly, walking out to see Kiba.

"Still don't think you like Sasuke?" Kiba asked. I narrowed my eyes.

"Not a chance," I told him blankly.

* * *

_**Another chapter done! Let's see where Sasuke and Saki's relationship takes them!**_

_**K well, it may be a while 'till the next chapter because I have to catch up to this story with my other one:P **_

_**So just bear with me and at least pretend you're not mad at me for making you wait.**_

_**- - Suzuki Yumi '.' **_


	8. Kill Me Heal Me

**_Good day (well actually it's night here but whatever) my little Palooka's! How are you this fine evening?_**

**_Well, here's the chapter. I know, it's short, but... I'll explain why later._**

**_Read with caution!  
_**

**_- - Suzuki Yumi '.'  
_**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"Oh Kiba!" I said with a hearty laugh, "Sometimes I think you're few snails short of a bucket." He looked at me strangely.

"Snails?" He asked, "Bucket?" I laughed loudly.

"Ahaha! Nothing to worry your pretty little head about!" I exclaimed.

"You're mighty cheerful," Kiba said blankly.

"Why shouldn't I be?" I asked, hands on my hips defiantly.

"What happened in there with you and Sasuke?" Kiba asked. I blushed.

"Nothing!" I said.

"Well he walked out looking pretty satisfied with himself," Kiba said.

"Sasuke… umm… won… a game of chess! And he came to tell me!" I exclaimed nervously. Kiba rolled his eyes.

"Riiiight," He said skeptically.

"Kiba, can I ask you something?" I asked with an innocent look on my face. We started walking down the hall to the main room.

"Hm?" Kiba asked.

"Well…. You see, Temari's staying for the week, so I was wondering if you could come by once and a while to whisk me away from her…" I mumbled.

"Of course I will!" Kiba exclaimed. I hugged him feverishly.

"I love you Kiba!" I yelled. I ran to the door to my apartment building.

"See yah!" I exclaimed, waving vigorously and running to my apartment. I heard voices and I assumed Temari was on the phone.

"Shikamaru…" I heard her mumble. I silently put my stuff down and tried to figure out where it was coming from.

"Please don't. Saki will be back soon," She whispered. I crept closer to the closet, realizing it was coming from there.

"Fine. What a drag. I thought you would be more fun," Shikamaru's voice said. I shuddered, realizing he was actually _in_ there. The closet door swung open and I pressed myself against the wall. Shikamaru left.

"Saki I know you're there," Temari said. I smirked and stepped out.

"My ninja stealth not good enough?" I asked her playfully. She smiled.

"Don't tell anyone," She said, her eyes suddenly narrowing. I knew she was talking about Shikamaru being there.

"Well why would I darling?" I asked her tentatively.

"I guess you're right," Temari said. There was a long silence.

"Want to eat out?" I asked Temari.

"I have a better idea," She said with a sly smile. I raised my eyebrow.

"Dinner party!" She exclaimed. I smiled broadly.

"Yay!" I exclaimed. I picked up a pad of paper and a pen, sitting down.

"Who's invited?" I asked.

"Everyone in _Konoha_!" Temari exclaimed.

"How about all the Konoha squads, and your brothers," I reasoned. She smiled approvingly. I looked around my apartment.

"We shall have it at Naruto's house," I proclaimed.

I asked Naruto and I brought all my kitchen utensils over (that kid_definitely _wasn't prepared for a dinner party, or a party at all). Temari went to go and get ingredients while I invited people.

We hustled and bustled around the apartment, Temari cooking and me cleaning and organizing. It didn't take long at all. Naruto had somehow gotten a table and put it on the end of his so we had enough room for all of us. He set the table and made juice. Temari pulled sake out of the grocery bag.

"But we're not old eno-" Naruto protested. Temari shushed him.

"But I am," She said.

"Don't be such a scaredy cat!" I told Naruto, elbowing him gently, "Alcohol is great!" To be honest, I had never had alcohol; I just wanted to seem like a daredevil.

I looked briefly at the guest list. Oh crap. Gaara and Sasuke in the same room… without jonin to break them up? I'd have asked Kakashi to supervise but that would have been awkward. But then I decided that Neji could break them up.

So, Neji could break them up, Naruto and I could calm Sasuke and Temari and Kankuro could calm Gaara.

People slowly filed in, starting with Hinata and Neji. They sat down and I slipped over to Neji, sitting beside him.

"I'm Saki, we spoke on the phone briefly," I told him, sticking out my hand for a handshake. He shook it half-heartedly.

"Neji," He said.

"Um, Neji, if Gaara and Sasuke fight we'll need your help to break them up," I told him. He scowled. I slipped him a twenty dollar bill and he smiled, nodding. Ah, bribes, what would I do without them?

Kiba, Rock Lee, Shino, and Tenten came in next. Tenten waved crazily at me and I smiled sweetly. Sakura and Ino came next, sporting their new O. S. F. F. W. H. C. T. buttons. It stands for Official Sasuke Fan-club Filled With Hormone Crazed Teens (it's called that because some of them are guys, actually, I believe over half of them are) isn't it funny how Sasuke can arouse both sexes?

No it isn't.

Saki that was gross.

I know, I regret it.

My strange argument with myself was interrupted by Shikamaru and Chouji coming in. Shikamaru looked at Temari and when their gazes met, Temari blushed and dropped the pot she was carrying. The one filled with hot water.

It was like slow motion with the pot falling, but then, I hand caught it. It was Sasuke, of course, that little show off. He kept holding it.

"Could someone grab it!? It's hot for god sakes!" Sasuke exclaimed. I had never heard him use such language before. Gaara's sand twisted over and placed it gently on the counter.

I looked over to him and he quickly put the cork in the gourd on his back and sat beside Kankuro. Sasuke mumbled something to himself in a mocking tone that sounded somewhat like: "Look I'm Gaara and I have to save Sasuke's goddamn hand so Sasuke's fanclub will turn their backs on him, blah blah blah." I'm sure he didn't notice I heard it, but I did, oh, I did.

Temari put the food on the table and Sasuke sat down beside me with an empty spot on the other side. Beside the empty spot was Gaara.

I gulped.

Ino and Sakura fought each other for the empty seat beside Sasuke. Gaara pushed them both down with his sand and let Temari sit there. He corked the gourd again.

"What a bad ass," Sakura murmured to Ino.

"I know, and the eyeliner, its so emo! Sasuke doesn't even know_how_ to be emo," Ino retorted. Sasuke heard it and I could see his fist clench under the table beside me. So maybe he craved the affection of his fan club and looked to them for support when he though no one liked him. I smiled.

That's so cute.

"So, as you all know, we invited you here… to Naruto's house, for a dinner party we," Temari got up and started saying, "Saki and I, planned. So… I wanted to do something different so I made American food." Whispers went through the room and Chouji's eyes went wide at the site of the huge ham in the middle.

The chatter slowly started up again as Gaara sliced the ham and Temari went to get the corn on the cob.

"So Gaara, does Temari normally cook American food?" I asked him. He turned to me. I expected him to be cold but instead he was very friendly. But Sasuke was angry because he was in between us and we talked past him.

"Well my auntie went to America many years ago and brought back a few cookbooks, Temari hasn't let go of them and about once a week she cooks from them," He explained over people's voices.

Sasuke was still stiff as a board, so I elbowed him, hard.

"Give him a chance," I hissed. I smiled at Gaara.

"Really? How did she get to America?" I asked.

"No one knows, but she said there's no chakra there," Gaara explained, finished his cutting and wiping off the knife, "She couldn't even use her jutsu." I frowned. _What a horrible world that must be._

We ate a joyous supper. The turkey wasn't even that bad, it was a little dry though. We had this food called stuffing, and it's just ripped up bread dipped in fatty sauce, but I ate it anyway, and I_loved _it. Temari gave a speech about how American's normally have this kind of food around thanksgiving, which we also celebrate here. But I think they celebrate it at a different time than us. Anyway, there were also mashed potatoes, I _love _mashed potatoes. I didn't try anything else because I was too full.

Temari then brought out the sake. Sasuke's eyes widened. Tenten jumped up.

"Don't let Lee have any!" She exclaimed, sitting back down. Rock Lee smiled evilly. I didn't _want _to know why.

Sasuke reached for the sake bottle and poured himself some, everyone else was too chicken. I contemplated getting some, thinking hard. The only problem was that if I did, I might get caught or something. I eyed it nervously and then I finally grabbed it out of Sasuke's hands, pouring myself a cup. I passed it to Temari who poured a little bit in a cup. I drank it slowly. It tasted bitter but I couldn't stop drinking. I finally finished it and I pounded it down onto the table, not willing myself to have more.

"I have a little game we can play," Temari said, getting up, "It's called kiss or tell."

"What!?" Ino asked excitedly, jumping over Sakura.

"Well, you either kiss the person we tell you to, or tell us the truth about the question we ask," Temari explained. Chouji, Shino, Rock Lee and Tenten got up to leave, but then Tenten saw Neji and sat down. We all said our goodbyes to the people who left and sat in a circle on Naruto's floor.

"I'll go first," Kiba announced. He turned to me and I rolled my eyes.

"Saki," He said in a motherly tone (hey! Kiba can pull it off!), "You can either… kiss Naruto, or tell us all what happened between you and Sasuke in the hospital room today." I choked on my own spit. I glanced briefly at Sasuke, whose expression remained completely blank. I had a feeling he wanted me to lie, but I couldn't just _lie _to _Kiba_. So I bounced over to Naruto I mouthed "I'm sorry", kissing him on the lips.

"I know it doesn't mean anything," He whispered to me. Ah, Naruto, got to count on him for thinking a kiss means nothing. Have I mentioned I love that kid? Because I do. Kiba raised his eyebrow at me with a "So it _was _something eh? Well I'm going to find out what it is! Once and for all!" look.

"My turn…" I mumbled. I looked around.

"Temari! Tell us what your relationship with Shikamaru is or kiss him!" I screamed, laughing maniacally. I got strange looks from everyone but Sasuke, who just smirked. Temari blushed and Shikamaru gave her a "go on and say it" look.

"Well, Shikamaru's kind of my boyfriend…" Temari muttered nervously. Everyone cheered and congratulated. She smiled warmly. I knew there was no way she'd have told unless I forced her, and here it is. It was Temari's turn. She smiled evilly at Sakura.

"Sakura, kiss Naruto, or tell me who you'd save from a fire, Sasuke or Naruto," She said. Sakura looked devastated. But eventually she kissed Naruto, who was freaking out. But after the kiss, he knew it meant nothing, so he just frowned and frowned. I felt sorry for him and I wanted to go hug him but I didn't. Sakura looked at Hinata.

"Hinata, kiss Kiba or tell us what your feelings are for Naruto," Sakura said. It really was a good idea because Hinata would never use her first kiss up on Kiba.

"I… umm… I like you Naruto," Hinata said, flushing a deep shade of red.

"Well I like you too Hinata, you're a good friend!" Naruto said. I slapped myself on the head. That idiot didn't even realize what she was saying. When Hinata's blood pressure went back to normal she looked briefly at Sasuke.

"Sasuke…" She mumbled.

"Hn?" He asked. Apparently he hadn't been paying attention. Temari whispered something in her ear.

"Kiss Naruto or tell us your feelings for Saki," Hinata repeated. He furrowed his brow and I glared at Temari.

"Well Sasuke, go ahead, tell them," I invited, making it sound like there was nothing wrong.

"She's a good friend, I guess. She's less annoying than the fan girls, at least," Sasuke muttered. Ino gasped and was about to yell when Sakura covered her mouth. He got up to get more sake and I followed, even though I really didn't need any.

"You should have kissed Naruto," I hissed.

"Why would I do that!?" Sasuke whispered harshly.

"You've done it before!" I argued. He rolled his eyes and grabbed his cup, leaving. I poured more sake in mine. I sat back down beside him and the game continued.

"Neji, kiss Tenten or tell us all why I saw you wearing a dress the other day," Sasuke said calmly. I started laughing, just imagining it.

"I was playing dress up with Hinata's little sister," Neji explained.

"Awww!" I said, smiling. Tenten's eyes sparkled. I finished my sake and I went for more, slurping it down and feeling slightly light-headed and woozy.

"Saki!" Neji called, "Kiss Gaara or tell me who you care the most about in this group."

"Well I am most definitely _not_ passing up an opportunity to kiss Gaara, that's for sure!" I said drunkenly. Temari looked disgusted that her temporary roomie was going to kiss her brother. I stumbled over to Gaara and I leaned down and gently pressed my lips against his warm ones. To be honest it was a nice kiss, but I really wasn't into him.

"Saki, you're drunk, let's take you into the kitchen," Temari said, pulling me in there by my elbow.

"You kissed my brother. My _younger _brother!" Temari exclaimed angrily.

"I know!" I said, smiling, "And it was _great_!" She slapped me without as much force as I expected.

"Snap out of it and get back there!" She exclaimed, storming away.

"If it makes you feel any better I'm not into people with eyeliner anyway!" I called after her. I heard people laughing. I pulled myself up with the counter and I trudged back in, sitting beside Sasuke who drank his sake calmly.

After a few more rounds people started to file out until it was just Gaara, Temari, Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba and I.

"Betcha I can drink more sake than you!" I challenged Sasuke.

"Betcha you can't!" Sasuke agreed. We ran to the bottle and I poured a cupful, drinking it in one big gulp. Sasuke glared and took the bottle, chugging it. I gawked.

"You are going to be _piss drunk_ after that," I commented. He took the last sip and stared at me.

"I know," He said with a smile. I noticed that some of the clear liquid stuck above his lips, clinging to his small, almost unsee-able mustache hairs.

"You have a while to go before that thing grows," I commented, but he didn't know what I was talking about. I think he may have taken my last comment the wrong way (it's easy if you think about it!). My vision started to blur slightly until Sasuke was a blue blob. I laughed at him.

"Sasuke you're _huge_!" I told him. I saw pink blobs on his hips. _Ah, his hands!_ I giggled, losing my balance. Sasuke caught me with his large hands. My vision un-blurred slowly and I saw every detail of his face. I stood up normally and I bowed to him.

"Thank you," I said happily. I giggled and he joined in. I didn't know Sasuke could giggle until then.

The night after that was a big blur.

I remembered lots of giggling with Sasuke, lectures from Temari and crazy conversations with Gaara. I remember Naruto freaking out when I was half passed out over his barf-filled toilet. But what I didn't remember was how I came to be where I was when I woke up.

* * *

_**Okay, I know it's short! Don't shoot me for it! The next one will be from Sasuke's view and that's why I needed to stop it here.**_

**_Come on, cheer up, the onions are just around the corner! (don't ask where that one came from)_**

**_Oh by the way, I suggest that you read my buddy "_**YourAverageObsessiveGirl**_"'s stories, they're pretty great, and, she's my best friend so I must rally more fans!_**

**_It's KakashiXOC (gotta love Kakashi) soooooo, yah._**

**_LOADS OF LOVE! -huggerzzz-_**

**_- - Suzuki Yumi '.' _**


	9. Do You Like Waffles?

_**Oh children!**_

_**I have to say that I love it when you review every chapter! It gives me more reviews (which make people think my story's good) and I'll mention that constructive criticism is g-o-o-d! Love it!**_

_**Have I ever mentioned I love you kids? Well I do.**_

_**- - Suzuki Yumi '.'  
**_

* * *

**Chapter 9**

_Sasuke -_

I woke up, feeling someone's body heat on me. I looked to my right and I saw Saki, my arm around her. I looked around. We were in her apartment, in the closet. I was scared to know what had happened. I twitched nervously and I snaked my arm back around her head. She stirred a little but didn't wake up.

And then I noticed it.

A pulsing pain was going in my head, much like when Itachi used his Tsukiyomi on me. I dragged myself along the wall to the bathroom and searched all the cabinets for painkillers. I found some Advil and I took the regulated amount, smiling at my medicine-finding skills. I crept to the kitchen sneakily. I searched the fried for anything that wasn't rotten and found nothing, so I decided to take my chances with the freezer.

I opened it up, spotting a box of waffles. It was a glorious sight.

I reached for them warily, wondering whether or not waffles expire. I popped them into the toaster anyway after inspecting them for mold and I sat on her bed. The closet door was still open and she was fast asleep, snoring, and, I think, drooling. I smirked and I went to get the waffles. I put them on plates and I found some strawberries and some syrup. I frowned.

What are strawberries and waffles without whipped cream?

I sighed and did what I had to do. I left the apartment and I slowly knocked on Naruto's door. He opened it, revealing Temari, Gaara, and Kiba who must have slept on his floor. I smirked.

"Did you spend the night at Saki's?" Naruto asked. I ignored him.

"Do you have whipped cream?" I asked him. Naruto looked disgusted.

"What's the whipped cream for!?" He asked. I narrowed my eyes.

"Waffles, dumbass," I scolded, hitting him on the head. Naruto nodded and trudged off to get the whipped cream. He brought it back and smiled half-heartedly, closing the door in my face. I carried it to Saki's apartment (which was only two steps away) and I placed it on the table beside the waffles. I looked around and decided to wake Saki up, and I had a brilliant way to do it. I took off my shirt and I rolled it up, soaking it in water under the kitchen sink. I walked to the closet and I stood over Saki, breathing heavily. I wrung the shirt out and all the water splashed onto her face.

"What the hell!?" She screamed, jumping up. I restrained my laughter and I pointed to the waffles.

"You think I can eat waffles in my condition?" She mumbled, swooning. I caught her and I helped her to the table, getting her some Advil and a glass of water.

"Here," I commanded. She quickly swallowed the pills, clutching her head. I ate my waffles slowly, analyzing her.

"What are you doing here anyway Sasuke?" Saki asked. I paused. If she doesn't remember I won't tell her.

"We have a mission, I came to pick you up and you were asleep in the closet," I explained, lying subtly.

"And you made waffles…?" She asked.

"Out of the sheer goodness of my heart," I added onto it. She smirked and started to eat. When she was finished she threw her dishes into the sink and grabbed some clothes, going to the bathroom, presumably to have a shower. I sighed and put mine in the sink, pouring some water into there to do dishes quickly before she showered.

"Sasuke!" She called, "You don't have to do dishes in my house!"

"I don't mind!" I told her. She came out wearing just a towel.

"I'm dead serious Sasuke, don't be the woman in this relationship," She said, turning around and walking back. I had to steady myself for two reasons:

Well, you can imagine what being near a hot girl in a towel does to me (yes I _did_ just admit that she's hot)

She said "this relationship", I was wondering what she was implying.

Well anyway, I left the dishes in the sink and I quickly went to my house for new clothes, and to do my hair. I had to be quick though. I changed into my black bodysuit. I hoped she wouldn't notice I changed. Even though knowing her she would. So I'd have to explain it to her.

I finished doing my hair and I ran back to Saki's apartment, jumping through the window to save time. Just as I did that she was coming out from the shower, the steam encircling her. I looked away, even though it was hard to, to give her privacy. Sure, she was wearing a towel, but I felt very intrusive.

She came out of her room a while later and she had changed into a pink dress with black ribbon on the bottom and leggings. I eyed her up and down as she came and sat in front of her mirror by her entrance, brushing her hair. She took out a ponytail holder from a drawer and she started to pull her hair up. I gripped her wrist tightly and took the ponytail holder out of it, letting her hair fall to her shoulders.

"You should leave it down, it looks nicer that way," I said,_almost _calling her pretty but restraining myself.

"You're wearing different clothes," Saki noticed.

"I changed because I got my shirt wet waking _you _up," I explained. _Good one Sasuke, good one._

I looked at the wall absent-mindedly, noticing for the first time that there was a curtain there. I walked over to it and felt the curtains fine fabric, tugging at it slightly to pull it aside. Within an instant Saki had her arms around me, grabbing my hands tighter than I could ever imagine she could.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. She turned around, blushing. I reached for the curtain again and she grabbed my hand again. She looked down.

"P… please don't…" She mumbled. I was very confused as to what was behind that curtain and why she was so embarrassed. I flipped my hands over and I held hers, I knew I could get it out of her this way.

"Tell me what's wrong," I commanded.

"They're just… some things I…" Saki mumbled.

"Spit it out or I'll pull the curtain," I threatened.

"They're some paintings I made!" She yelled, but in a soft, Hinata-like voice.

"Are you really that embarrassed of them?" I inquired. She nodded, blushing madly.

"Some day," Saki murmured in a strange tone that kind of implied that it would only happen if… well… we became closer. But she said it like she _expected _we would. I _really _wanted to see them.

"Fine, you can see _one_!" Saki said angrily, I think I pissed her off. She stormed across the apartment and to her room, pulling out a painting of a blue butterfly on a leaf. It was surrounded by many other leaves and all of it had so much detail.

"It's… beautiful Saki…" I muttered. She smiled at my approval and she ran back to her room, putting it back.

"Ready to go muppet?" She asked happily.

"Read to go bunny?" I asked her back. She tilted her head in confusion.

"I decided you needed a nickname, and after carefully contemplating it last night while we were drunk, I decided it. It… suits you, don't you think?" I asked her. She nodded happily and marched out the door. If her head hurt anything near as much as mine did then she was enduring a lot at the moment.

"Wait a minute, you picked my nickname while you were drunk?" Saki asked.

"It was that or Sugar-Lips Snuggle-cheeks Pookie-pie," I admitted.

"I like that one," Saki said. I smirked.

"I'll switch between them," I told her.

"Sugar-Lips Snuggle-cheeks Pookie-pie…" Saki mumbled, "Could be a tongue twister." I was tempted to test it out but I restrained myself.

"Where's Temari?" Saki asked.

"I don't know," I lied feebly, can't have Temari explaining the situation to her. But then I thought for a moment. _What if Temari explains it in a way that implies something?_

I then decided I would tell Saki myself.

"Saki," I called down the hall, she had already ran towards Naruto's. She turned around, her brown hair swished in front of her face.

"Yes?" She asked me. I walked closer to her.

"Umm, can I… apologize?" I asked her nervously.

"For what?" She asked, inviting me back in to her apartment.

"Lying," I said blankly. She looked confused.

"About what?" She asked skeptically.

"About me coming over and finding you in the closet," I admitted.

"What are you talking about!?" The pitch in her voice was rising now.

"I woke up next to you in the closet and I have no idea what happened because we were both drunk last night!" I screamed in one quick sentence, "Don't kill me!"

"Oh," Saki scoffed, "Okay then." She started to walk away.

"Are you mad?" I asked her.

"No!" She assured me. But I could tell she was. I smirked. Hinata came running up in front of us, here coat waving back and forth. If she wanted to impress Naruto she could've worn something sexier. Oh well.

"We have a mission today!" She called out. I nodded slowly and we left, following Hinata to wherever Kurenai-sensei wished to meet us.

"Hello kids," Kurenai said cheerfully. I rolled my eyes at her chipper-ness. Hinata listened intently and Saki looked like she was thinking about something else, like her mind was in another place. I was then shocked to see her collapse. I rushed over there and caught her.

"Saki how many pills did you have?" I whispered in her ear.

"Three…" She mumbled.

"People our age are supposed to take _one_, Saki," I informed her. She looked up at me helplessly.

"What's wrong!?" Kurenai asked, rushing over.

"I don't know, she just collapsed," I said. Kurenai rolled out a mat and placed Saki on it. She took a light and looked in Saki's eyes.

"Ow!" Saki screamed, "As if I didn't hurt enough!" I cringed, we were done for.

"What do you mean?" Kurenai asked.

"Nothing," Saki said dismissively, looking away. Kurenai twisted her back by her shoulders. I knew that hurt her because she bit her lip through the pain. Some blood trickled down her face and she wiped it off quickly.

I frowned, remembering that her shoulders hurt because of me.

"Saki?" Kurenai asked sternly.

"I took too many painkillers…" Saki mumbled. She looked so innocent, like a little kid. She spoke in a whisper and with just simple words.

"Why were you taking painkillers?" Kurenai asked.

"My head hurt like little bugs were pinching my brain," Saki said blankly.

"Saki, did you drink alcohol last night?" Kurenai asked. _Shit. We're doomed. _Saki nodded slowly.

"Who brought the alcohol?" Kurenai asked with more force than necessary. I could tell Saki didn't want to betray Temari; she drank the sake of her own free will. I stepped up.

"I did," I said bravely. Hinata gasped, knowing it wasn't true, and Saki looked very confused.

"I found some alcohol at the Uchiha compound and I brought it to her house. After everyone left we drank some," I lied. Kurenai dropped Saki completely, utterly shocked. Saki fell to the ground with an "ooph".

"Sasuke?" Kurenai asked. I nodded solemnly. Saki had a look of twisted pain on her face, like I had just physically hurt her by doing that.

"Why would yo- how _could _you!?" Kurenai seemed disgusted.

"Nobody's prefect," Was all I said. Kurenai's face contorted into anger.

"Get Saki to the hospital right now! I'll think of your punishment later!' She yelled. I picked Saki up and carried her bridal-style toward the hospital. When we were almost there, she jumped out of my arms and pulled me into a dark alleyway. She stalked toward me and slapped me forcefully across the face.

"Don't you pull a stunt like that again!" She yelled. I smirked.

"Saving Temari's butt?" I asked slyly.

"I could have done it… I was going to… you could have gotten away scott-free," Saki mumbled. I looked at her like she was crazy for saying that.

"I couldn't have just left, knowing you would be punished for something we both did," I told her.

"Fine! But I'm taking your punishment with you!" She proclaimed, trying to sound heroic. I smirked and picked her back up, carrying her to the hospital. I carried her to her usual room, number 7, and I placed her on the bed in there. Tsunade soon came in.

"She took too man-" I started. Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"I've been briefed," She said in threatening tone. I left, kind of scared. _I knew that being around Saki would gain me enemies, but why the hokage!? She's the scariest enemy of all! _

I walked outside and I started to walk farther and farther away from the building, my breath quickening with every step. I felt like I was being followed.

I felt and arm snake around my body and pull me into the trees. I turned around and I saw someone I'd hoped I'd never see again.

My curse mark pounded at his appearance. I clutched my neck.

"Orochimaru," I said coolly, my eyes narrowing. He gently placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Sasuke," Orochimaru hissed, "I have a job for you." I shrugged his hand off of me.

"Not interested," I told him, whipping around angrily. His tongue slipped past my head and held a kunai against me neck.

"You don't have a choice Sasuke, not if you ever want to kill your brother," Orochimaru threatened.

"What do you mean?" I asked him, maintaining my position and pretending not to be afraid.

"Unleash you curse mark, Sasuke, join me, I can give you power _far_beyond that of Itachi's," He explained.

"What's the job?" I asked.

"Lure Saki into the forest," He said blankly.

"What are you going to do to her!?" I asked, my pitch and volume rising. Orochimaru's abnormally long, wet tongue grazed my cheek. I shuddered.

"I just want to talk to her about a few things, nothing more," He assured me. I furrowed my brow.

"That's where you come in," Orochimaru said, "I have some… bad blood, per say, with Saki and her family, so you may need to hold her down. She probably won't be willing to reason." I smirked.

"I assure you, she won't," I told him blankly, "She's strong too, I almost had to use my sharingan on her."

"That's exactly why I need her," Orochimaru said, cackling evilly and leaving.

I sat down on my bed and thought to myself. I knew I made the wrong decision. But what did it matter? I _had _to kill Itachi.

I shook my head. I knew that wasn't the case. Itachi wasn't the most important thing to me at the moment. Protecting my friends was.

After a long hard thinking session I decided I would do it, but only because I knew Orochimaru was slowly getting weaker and together Saki and I may have even been able to take him if anything bad happened.

* * *

**_(bursts into tears) I'm really sorry! I swear my chapters are getting shorter and shorter! It sickens me! Oh well, the next will be longer._**

**_Expect something juicy, scary, horrid, and unexpected happening next chapter. OH! The suspense!_**

**_Expect the unexpected (although then you'd be expecting it so it wouldn't be unexpected anymore and you'd contradict yourself)_**

**_So,_**

**_EXPECT THE EXPECTED!_**

**_Mwahahahahaaha! _**

**_(ah I'm so clever, as clever as a mongoose) _**

**_P.S. Did you know that the plural of mongoose is monGOOSES not mongeese? Isn't that weird?_**

**_Anyways, I looked forward to your abundance of reviews!_**

**_- - Suzuki Yumi '.'  
_**


	10. Forgotten

**_Ah! The ever-awaited chapter is here!_**

**_What will come of Sasuke and Orochimaru's meeting?_**

**_Will Sasuke protect her if something DOES happen? _**

**_You'll just have to see. _**

**_- - Suzuki Yumi '.' _**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_Saki - _

Tsunade sat gently beside me, eying me up and down.

"Sasuke," She said, "Stay away from him." I raised my eyebrow.

"He's my teammate," I said skeptically.

"He's a bad influence," Tsunade advised. I scrunched up my nose.

"I don't think he's a bad influence," I said dismissively.

"You could switch teams…" She pondered. I furrowed my brow.

"You could switch with Shino," She mumbled. I slammed my hand down on the hospital food table angrily, waving it because the action hurt.

"I don't _want _to switch teams!" I exclaimed.

"But he…" Tsunade mumbled.

"It's not like Sasuke forced me to drink that sake! It's not like he was going to rape me or something! So it doesn't matter!" I yelled at Tsunade, "Just punish me." Tsunade's gaze softened slightly.

"You both drank some, you both get punished," She said. I smiled sweetly at her.

"By the way, you'll be fine, you didn't take that many pills, so it's okay," Tsunade whispered, leaving. I jumped out the window and landed safely in a small patch of grass.

I wandered aimlessly though Konoha village, looking for something to do in my hung-over state. I walked past a marketplace, glancing at the people hustling and bustling around the streets. I quickly turned back, seeing one person who stood out from everyone else. Sasuke Uchiha. I walked closer to him.

"Sasuke," I said threateningly.

"Is she going to kill me?" Sasuke asked, speaking of Tsunade.

"I explained the situation," I told him blankly. His concern for me flashed across his eyes.

"Good," Sasuke said. We stood there nervously.

"So…" I mumbled.

"Saki?" He asked me.

"Hm?" I asked, turning my body so I was staring straight at him.

"Can you meet me in the forest… soon?" Sasuke asked. I nodded slowly, confused.

"There's someone I want you to… see. Bring you ninja tools," He mumbled. I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Sasuke what's going on?" I asked him.

"Get your tools," He commanded. I pointed to the pouch on my leg that held them all. He nodded and gestured his head toward the vast expanse of trees behind him. I started to march off into he woods and I felt a hand grip my wrist tightly. Sasuke spun me around on my heel and kissed me. His lips were soft and warm against mine, but he pulled away too soon. I furrowed my brow.

There was something I noticed. That kiss, though it had been our first one, I could tell there was something wrong. Like it was goodbye… or something. I ignored it and walked into the forest, expecting him to follow.

"Sasuke!" I called. There was dead silence.

"I know Sasuke-kun wouldn't invite me out here, so quit lying and come out, you coward!" I shouted. Sasuke stepped out.

"Sasuke-kun huh? So now I'm your friend?" He asked evilly. I had never seen that look in his eyes, it was so… malicious.

"Well well well, it looks like we share the same views," Sasuke said, he walked over and hugged me. I stabbed him in the back with my kunai. What? No _pop_? So he's not a clone?

"Way to keep her down, Sasuke," A man congratulated, stepping out from the shadows. I observed him closely. He had long black hair and purple makeup around his eyes. I knew him, from pictures, people warned us about this man, Orochimaru.

* * *

_**Here I suggest the song **_ **"Orochimaru's Theme"**_**No idea who it's by though. Whoever composes the Naruto music?**_

* * *

My eyes narrowed as I tried to break free of Sasuke's grasp. He wouldn't let go. Sasuke had tears on the brims of his eyelids as he held me tighter. I think… even though I was sure I was about to die because of him, I think that hug meant something. 

"You bastard," I hissed at him, "You killed my family!"

Orochimaru ignored me and stretched out his neck, biting the arm that was holding my kunai. I was immediately hit with searing pain.

"What… is this!?" I screamed. Sasuke disappeared into the shadows and I sunk to the ground.

"Most people can't even talk during the process, you'll definitely live," Orochimaru explained. I look at my arm. A mark much like Sasuke's was starting to form. _So he got it from Orochimaru in the chunin exams? I should have guessed. _

"Why?" I snarled, "Why _me_?"

"I saw your sister's kekkai-genkai and I know you're the next to get it," Orochimaru explained. My eyes widened. Just being around him gave me such a sense of fear that only the immense pain dulled it and enabled me to move. I stalked closer to him, preparing for an attack. Orochimaru backed up.

"Ah ah ah! Don't be so hasty, save it for when I need your body," He protested. I kept coming closer, holding my kunai steadily. The pain was worse then when the man killed my family and broke my bones, worse than anything I'd ever felt. It was physical and mental torture all in one.

I tried to talk, but I couldn't.

"You must be stronger than Sasuke if you can move right now," Orochimaru said with a sinister smile, "Only ten percent of people live after I give them the mark, good luck." With that, he left.

I screamed with pain and I looked at my arm again. The mark was getting darker. I curled up into a ball, grunting with the pain it caused.

"Saki…" A voice called, it sounded like Sasuke. I turned my head as much as I could before it started to hurt more.

"Live through this, for me, okay?" The voice asked, "I'll explain it all later."

I heard footsteps.

"Saki!" Kiba's voice called. I wanted to call to him, to reach out to him, but I couldn't. He sat down beside me. All I could manage to do was reach over and squeeze his hand.

I squeezed it as hard as I could but the pain just kept coming.

* * *

I woke up in the hospital (yes, my special room), looking into Sasuke's sympathetic eyes. 

"Sasuke…" I commanded, "You have to tell me what that curse mark means."

"Hm?" He mumbled.

"Please, Sasuke!" I pleaded.

"Why?" He whispered. I rolled up my sleeve.

"Because I have one too," I said blankly.

"Oh yes," He said, remembering. He looked at it closely.

"I… I'm sorry… I didn't know he was… planning _that_…" He apologized.

"It's the earth sign, stronger than my heaven sign…" He whispered. Sasuke jumped back and clutched his head.

"No…" He whispered.

"No!" He screamed loudly, "Not her too! It's all my fault! It_always_ is!" I shook my head.

"Sasuke, I don't know what you're talking about, please explain," I whispered. Sasuke looked up, his eyes filled with tears that wouldn't quite spill over.

"I can't, I have to, goodbye," Sasuke said, "Good luck with that mark." He jumped out the window. I ran to it.

"Sasuke!" I screamed out the window, leaning out.

"Sasuke!" I screamed again. I leaned out so far that I fell from my fifth story hospital window (seriously, they should make that _my_permanent room). I thought I was going to die, so I just relaxed, but then I was caught by none other than Shikamaru Nara.

"It's not every day a pretty girl falls into my arms," He said, putting me down gently on the ground.

"What's with the screaming Sasuke's name?" He asked.

"You heard that?" I asked. He chuckled.

"I think the whole village heard it," Shikamaru said jokingly.

"It'd be great if you didn't tell anyone about me and Sasuke…" I whispered to him.

"I never knew there was a 'something'," Shikamaru stated, "But now I do, and I'll be hush hush about it!" I smiled an awkward smile. Smiling, that's something I hadn't done in a while. It felt good to genuinely smile again.

"Saki!" Anko Mitarashi yelled, running up behind me, "What are you doing out of the hospital!" Shikamaru mouthed, "good luck" and left me with her.

I felt like yelling, "Don't leave me with her Shika!" but I didn't. I've only met her once, but I've heard she's a little crazy. Anko picked me up by my waist and ran me to my hospital room.

"What's wrong Anko?" I asked her quizzically.

"Someone needs to treat your mark, and it's not going to be Kakashi," She explained. I scrunched up my nose, a sign that I was thinking hard. She filled out some medical papers and dragged me to a dark room that had a seal on the floor. She sat me in the middle of it and got me to take off my shirt. She slowly drew marks on my skin that would help the process. She then put her hand to the mark and it started glowing with her chakra.

"How is this going to help?" I asked.

"It will," – she paused to increase her chakra flow – "stop you from accidentally activating it," She explained, "The more often you activate it and the farther it spreads, the more your brain is consumed by Orochimaru." I nodded slowly.

"Is it like Sasuke's?" I asked her.

"Similar, but much different. Sasuke's is the same as mine," Anko explained. I gawked.

"Yours!?" I asked, astounded that she would have one too. She bent down and showed me hers.

"It's the heaven seal…" I observed.

"And yours is the earth seal," Anko pointed out. I looked at it.

"So it is," I agreed.

"I'm finished," Anko told me. I got up, walking to the door.

"Oh, and Saki," Anko said, I paused to listen, "Your mark means Orochimaru thinks you're more valuable than Sasuke, which is a bad thing." I was silent.

"That's why I'd like to train you," She said. I smiled.

"I'd like that," I said.

"We'll meet tomorrow for lunch at the ramen shop," Anko told me. I walked ahead but I stopped, holding onto the door handle.

"Anko…" I asked, "Do you think Sasuke will join him?"

"I'm not sure Saki, I'm not sure," She said. I walked out, feeling a pang of sadness.

* * *

I was going to go to Kiba's house, but I figured out that I didn't know where he lived. I used the hospital phone to call him. 

"Hello, Kiba's room," His sister answered the phone in his room.

"Hi is Kiba there?" I asked sweetly.

"He's around here somewhere… may I ask who's calling?" She asked, I heard footsteps so it must have been a cordless phone.

"Saki," I told her.

"Kiba!" She called through the house. It was muffled so I guessed that she covered the mouth part with her hand.

"It's Saki," She said. She came back on the phone.

"Alright here he is," She said. Soon Kiba was on the phone.

"Want to meet me at the hospital front doors?" I asked him.

"Why there?" Kiba asked.

"Because I don't know where you live," I told him.

"How about you come here?" He asked, "I'll pick you up." I shrugged but then I realized I was on the phone so he couldn't see it.

"I guess…" I mumbled.

"Mom! Can I have Saki over!?" He yelled. I heard a muffled "sure!"

"See you in two minutes," Kiba said, hanging up before I could say bye. I frowned and I sat outside, pressing close up against the building so I could avoid the summer heat and sun. I shaded my eyes when I saw someone sauntering towards me. I was surprised when I saw that it was Gaara. His figure stood out very nicely behind the setting sun. He walked up to me and stuck out his hand, helping me up.

"I heard you got hurt," He said in a friendly voice.

"Yeah…" I said, remembering it, "But I'm okay now."

"Was it that bastard Sasuke?" He asked. I smirked.

"No it was that bastard Orochimaru," I told him. Although I wasn't too sure that Sasuke didn't have his part in it as well. Gaara growled ever so slightly.

"A whole bunch of us are going swimming later, want to come?" Gaara asked.

"Well Kiba's meeting me here and then I'm going to his house, so maybe both of us could come!" I said cheerfully. Gaara nodded.

"That would be nice," He said, walking away. I didn't know why he came to see me; maybe Temari roped him into it.

* * *

I waited for about a minute and Kiba finally came. I started walking with him. 

"So what exactly… happened?" He asked me. I stuck up my hand and breathed in deeply.

"I'll tell you at your house," I said. It was a quiet, awkward walk to his house. He opened the door for me and I went inside, glancing around. It was nothing like I would have expected from Kiba. I was an old Victorian house with antique-looking furniture. The walls were an olive green and all the trimming and wood was dark mahogany. It was beautiful.

"Oh my god Kiba I love your house," I told him, turning to him and pointing my finger at his furniture, "I'll marry you if we get to live here." Kiba laughed.

I heard yipping.

"Akamaru!" I called happily, picking up the little white dog in my arms. I pet his head.

Kiba's mother came in. She had brown hair the same colour as Kiba's but not as soft-looking, and it was scraggly-looking. She had lines on her face like Kiba's. "Hello, I'm Mrs. Inuzuka," She said. She had the same pink lines on her face as Kiba.

"Hello," I said politely, bowing and letting Akamaru jump to the floor. Another girl came in, his sister. She had brown hair that was in a loose ponytail with two thin strands hanging in front of her face. She had a tattoo on her upper right arm that looked kind of like a flower.

"I'm Hana," She said. I smiled and bowed slightly.

"Saki," I said.

"Please, sit down," Mrs. Inuzuka said, gesturing toward the oh-so-comfy-looking couch. I sat on it happily.

Kiba randomly announced that he had to go to the bathroom and he left the room. Mrs. Inuzuka came rushing in with a bowl of fruit.

"Help yourself," She said. Hana sat on the chair across from me.

"So, how do you and Kiba know each other?" She asked. Mrs. Inuzuka came closer to listen. I picked up and apple.

"We first talked the day we got our new teams. The next day, after fighting Sasuke, I was in the hospital. Kiba came to visit me and we've been friends ever since," I explained. Hana smiled.

"Are you Kiba's girlfriend?" Hana asked.

"Hana!" Mrs. Inuzuka scolded.

"No. No I'm not," I said blankly, "Although I said I'd marry him if we got to live in your house. I love your house."

"Well thank you," Kiba's mother said.

"So you're _not _Kiba's girlfriend?" Hana asked. I laughed at the thought.

"Nope!" I said with a wide smile. Kiba stepped into the room.

"What are you guys interrogating her about?" He asked, hands on his hips like a woman. I couldn't help myself. I started laughing. His mother and sister turned to me.

"Let's go… to my room Saki," Kiba said, pulling me down a hallway. We were in his room. The walls were a forest-y green which reminded me of yesterday. I clenched my fist, my nails digging into my skin. The blood dripped down them and onto the floor. Kiba eyed my hand skeptically. He ignored the fact that I bled on his nice floor and he pulled me over to his bed, sitting me beside him. I twisted my arm towards him and he saw my curse mark. His eyes widened.

"You got a tattoo?" He asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Sasuke has one too," I said, ignoring his stupid remark.

"You got tattoos together?" He looked confused. I scrunched up my nose.

"Orochimaru. It's a sign hat he wants to use your body as a vessel so he can stay immortal," I explained.

"I don't know why Sasuke did it. I suppose he tried to be friends with me so he could hand me over to Orochimaru someday. None of it meant anything at all. Every good time, every giggle-fest… every kiss…" I mumbled.

"You've kissed?" Kiba asked.

"Don't tell anyone any of this!" I begged, ignoring his previous question.

"I won't," He promised. I knew he would keep his word.

* * *

_**Definitely listen to **_**"Everybody's Fool"**_** by Evanescence here.**_

* * *

I held my face in my hands and gave myself a temple-massage. I shook my head. 

"Kiba he fooled me," I said glumly.

"He fooled us all," Kiba assured me, pulling my head to his chest. I resisted the urge to cry.

"I think he's leaving," I told Kiba.

"Just stay strong Saki, I'm sure he wanted you to live through it, at least," Kiba comforted. My face twisted into a look of agonizing pain.

"I don't even believe that anymore," I told him doubtfully. A tear came to my eye and I jumped up, not wanting to show weakness.

"I have to go to the washroom!" I called, running to where I thought the washroom was. I was right. I sat down on top of the toilet seat and I held my face in my hands.

I was _sure _Sasuke betrayed me and was never going to talk to me again. Maybe he just expected, just _hoped _I would die from the process. The tears came faster then, no matter how much I wanted them to stop. I slammed my fist on the counter beside the sink. I reached for a tissue.

I knew I had to hurry or Kiba would think I had diarrhea or something.

I left the door open slightly while I dabbed at my eyes with the tissue, getting rid of all the leftover wetness. Akamaru came in, barking at me. I picked him up and pet him, smiling warmly. He yipped in delight and I brought him back to Kiba's room, smiling harder.

"Gaara invited us to go swimming with him and a few others, want to come?" I asked. Smiling in my state hurt so much that it brought tears to my eyes. I had to remember that smiling when sad makes you cry more. Kiba came over and wiped a fallen tear off my cheek.

"Not like this we aren't," He said.

"I'll be fine!" I told him dismissively.

"Meet me at the pool in about five minutes," Kiba said.

I rushed home to change into my bathing suit.

* * *

I had a few to choose from actually. I had an orange bikini with a little pink-ish flower on the right breast part, a black bikini with white around the edges and a little bow in the front, and a lime green bikini. I eventually chose the black one. I put it on and I stood in front of the mirror. It fit really well, it was a good choice, but I felt very self-conscious. I hadn't worn a bathing suit (around people) in a year or so. I shrugged and grabbed a black bag, throwing my towel into it. I put on my sunglasses and I went out the door. I stepped into the horrible afternoon sun and I looked far ahead, realizing I had no clue where the pool was. I jumped along the rooftops, looking for a large patch of water and screaming teens. 

I finally saw it and I jumped down, landing in front of the admission lady. I took out my wallet.

"Its kid's day," She said. I gave her a five dollar bill anyway and I walked away. I went into the girls change room, seeing Sakura.

"If I had known there was a change room I would have brought you my bathing suit choices!" I told her with a smile. She slipped her towel around her body and walked up to me.

"I like that one, it suits you," She said with a very fake-looking smile. I smiled nervously back at her and we walked out into the outside.

"Want to sun tan with me?" Sakura asked. I nodded, following her to the concrete on the side of the pool. We put down our towels and lay down on our stomachs, facing each other.

"Its kid's day… so why aren't there any kids?" I asked, looking around and seeing all of the Konoha genin (and Shikamaru, who was sitting on the side lazily, watching Temari's graceful strokes).

"They're scared of us," Sakura said, yawning. I laughed, flipping over onto my back. We sat there in silence for a moment. I felt footsteps approaching and then a head popped over me. I blocked out the sun with my hand so I could see who it was, it was Kiba.

"Can I… um, talk to you?" He asked in an overly-cheerful way. I nodded and got up, walking with him to the other side of the pool.

"Sasuke's here," He whispered to me, pointing over at Sasuke. He was standing on the top of the diving board in his black swimming trunks, preparing himself for the dive downward, readying himself for the first burst of the water's chill. He jumped, landing head first into the water. He popped back up, his hair spraying little water droplets in random places on the pool. He looked at me for a split second and then he got up to leave. I glared. He started to dry himself off and I felt angry that he was leaving because I was there. I should have been leaving because _he _was there! He was the one who almost got me killed!

It my stroke of anger I jumped off the diving board and into the pool, feeling the cool water tickle my cheeks as I pushed myself to the surface. Sasuke smirked and grabbed his stuff, leaving. I turned around, giggling at the brilliant plan I had.

"Hey! Ugly beast!" I yelled louder than anyone else in the pool was talking. Sasuke turned around, answering to it. Many people (especially Kiba) laughed at him. He glared at me and left, sticking his nose in the air like the goody-two-shoes he is. Kiba swam up beside me and patted me on the back, congratulated me. But somehow I felt bad for doing it, while feeling good at the same time. _Is this revenge? If so I don't want any part of it._

I grabbed my stuff and I threw them in my bag, starting leave and ignoring Sakura's protests.

"Where are you going?" Kiba asked.

"Home," I told him blankly.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be here."

"Saki, you can't let Sasuke ruin your life."

"I'll ruin my own life thank you!"

I turned around to stomp away, but mid-stomp I realized what I had said.

"I meant to say that no one's ruining my life," I informed him, correcting myself, Kiba chuckled and I stormed away.

* * *

_**Betcha didn't see that one coming! **_

_**And what's this about her sister's kekkai-genkai? **_

_**Oh my this story is taking an interesting turn now isn't it?**_

_**I totally didn't plan for it to be like this.**_

_**. Oh well!**_

_**P.S. Reviews ahoy! I'd been planning this chappie for a while so please give me some constructive criticism on it, unless I' m so wonderful at writing that criticism isn't needed (which I highly doubt). **_

_**- - Suzuki Yumi '.' **_

* * *


	11. Open Wounds

_**Bwaha! Okay, brace yourself, short, almost-pointless chapter, but don't worry, the next chapter will be juicy, more good for you.**_

_**With a healthy dose of - none other than- Sasuke Uchiha!**_

_**-claps madly-**_

_**And don't worry, your ShikaTema will come. **_

_**- - Suzuki Yumi '.'**_

* * *

**Chapter 11**

I threw my stuff on my bed and I walked to the bathroom, shedding myself of the annoying bathing suit. I stepped into the shower, letting the water fall on me. I put my hand against the shower wall and steadied myself.

I thought for a moment while the water trickled down my neck and onto my hair, slowly falling off the ends of the unkempt strands.

I bet Sasuke thought I was too weak. I always knew I was weak. I furrowed my brow. What had Orochimaru meant by "my sister's kekkai-genkai"?

I was sad, confused, and, most of all, tired. I wanted to kill Sasuke, but I knew he had a reason for doing it. I wanted to talk to him, but I feared he would prove my fears. I waned to hug something, someone.

* * *

I walked out wearing just my towel, only to be greeted by Temari. She hugged me tightly, getting the front of her outfit wet. 

"You okay?" She asked me, guiding me to my room.

"Yeah I'm fine," I assured her feebly.

"Just let Temari take care of Orochimaru for you," She said. She pushed me onto my bed and tucked me in, ignoring the fact that I was still in just a towel. I grabbed my many pillows and set up a wall, a fortress around me. It was like I wanted a fortress on my life so no one could hurt me anymore. I frowned, falling asleep quickly in my little fortress.

* * *

I opened my eyes groggily, glancing at the clock and groaning. 12:00 PM. I rolled myself out of bed and onto the floor, my fortress of pillows landing in a stack on my head. I sighed, noticing I had lost my towel. I crept to the closet and I grabbed some blue silk pajamas. I put them on quickly and I walked out to the kitchen, grabbing the waffles out of the freezer. 

Oh, how I love waffles.

I popped one in the toaster and I found the syrup, looking at the whipped cream skeptically. It reminded me of Sasuke.

That day, he woke me up and I walked out. He was shirtless because he had wrung water from his shirt to wake me up.

I smiled at the memory.

He looked hot. He had the slightest bit of whipped cream on his lip and…

Okay Saki too much detail.

I will restrain myself.

Good.

My waffle popped up and I put it on a plate, tossing the whipped cream into the garbage. I grabbed the waffle (which was pretty hot so I think my hands burnt) and I put it on the only clean plate. I took out a fork and knife and poured an unreasonable amount of syrup on the waffle, pleased with myself. I ate it slowly, watching Temari sleep on the couch. I walked over to her, poking her.

"Temari," I whispered. She turned over to face me, opening her eyes and rubbing them.

"You can sleep in my bed," I told her.

"Your house," She mumbled.

"So I can tell you where to sleep," I protested. She sat up straight, stretching and yawning. She eyed my waffle.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"12:00-ish," I explained. Temari chuckled, getting up and going to the kitchen to get herself a waffle.

I kept eating mine while she prepared hers. She came and sat across from me at the small glass table.

"So… how's the whole Sasuke thing?" Temari asked, trying to make small talk. I wasn't in the mood, at least not for that subject.

"There _is _no Sasuke thing," I said.

"But Shikamaru said-" She protested.

"Shika? Fuck. I told him not to tell anyone," I mumbled angrily. Temari jumped up.

"Just because an evil pedophile-ish guy wants your body and the one person you truly loved betrayed you doesn't mean that you have to act like you hate the world!" Temari scolded. She shook her head and grabbed the phone.

"Is it long distance?" I asked her.

"It's Shika!" She yelled. I nodded slowly, sadly. I didn't_want _to get in a fight with her, but I let my emotions get the better of me. I tend to overact sometimes.

I frowned, trudging back to bed and laying down. I was almost sure that after the Sasuke incident our team would be no more, so I set my alarm to 11:00 AM because I was meeting with Anko for lunch at 12:00. I dug my face into my pillow, but just light enough so I could still breathe, and I forced sleep to come on me.

* * *

"Saki…" A voice mumbled. I opened my eyes slightly, seeing a blurred silhouette. 

"Saki," The voice said. I stared ahead, noticing that Temari was there. Her brothers were behind her.

"We came to say goodbye," Temari said. I raised my eyebrow skeptically.

"We're going back to the Sand," Gaara said blankly. I frowned.

"Why are you leaving early?" I asked.

"We're needed," Kankuro said. It was the first time I'd ever heard him talk. I sat up straight. I walked up to Temari and hugged her.

"I'll miss you guys," I said. I didn't specify that I would only miss Temari and Gaara because that would be rude. I hugged Gaara as well, who was taken aback by it and didn't hug me back. I shook hands with Kankuro though, no need to take it further than necessary.

"Sorry for offending you Temari," I said, "Or, Shikamaru, rather." Temari smirked.

"I just wanted to say bye now, I'll be at Shika's all day and I'll leave tonight and make quick ground to catch up with these two," Temari explained, pointing her thumb at her brothers behind her. I waved at the other two, who left immediately. I smiled at Temari and looked at the clock. 6:00 AM, no wonder I was so tired. I waved Temari off and lay back down, covering myself in my blanket.

"Thanks," Temari said gratefully.

"I'm going to be lonely," I told her.

"We'll take care of Orochimaru, and you can get your Sasuke back," She said. I turned to face her.

"You're a great friend Temari," I told her with a smile. She smiled back and jumped through my window, leaving. I could hear the faint sound of her ninja-style shoes pressing on the grass as she ran. I lay there until the sound faded, willing myself to fall asleep.

* * *

My alarm broke me up with an annoying buzzing sound and I smacked it brutally, sending it flying across the room. By then, I was as awake as a fish out of water. Or something like that. Do fish even sleep? 

I jumped out of bed and threw some clothes on, glancing slightly at the dent in my wall and my broken alarm clock. I shook my head at the alarm clock for being so annoying, restraining myself from giving it a lecture. I put my hair into a messy ponytail and I pulled on a jacket, hearing the wind whipping outside. I frowned as I walked out, feeling it immediately. It was storming. Not good weather to walk in. Nevertheless, I braved the cold, harsh wind that whipped against my face, the rain that started to pour half way through my trip. I scrunched up my nose, spotting the ramen shop. I ran to it full-speed, lifting up the course fabric of the curtains. Since the curtains only reached half-way to the ground I was still getting water on my legs as I sat on the stool in front of the counter.

The owner of the shop stood in front of me.

"You're not one of my regulars, what's your name?" The man asked.

"Saki," I said blankly, "I'm waiting for my sensei." I just wasn't in the mood for ramen. I actually, I'd never really liked ramen, too salty, I prefer sweet foods (which I probably shouldn't have because I get _really _hyper).

Anko walked in soon after(and thank _god_ because the owner of the shop was watching me like I was some sort of thief or something and it was getting to the point of being creepy).

"Hello Saki," She said, pointing the man to the type of ramen she wanted. She was drenched from the storm and he jacket clung to her see-through outfit like it was glued there. The man passed her the ramen and she took one big bite, pointing her chopsticks at me.

"So when should this training start?" Anko asked, but, since her mouth was stuffed with food it sounded like; "So when sood this thaining thart?"

"As soon as possible," I told her, "What will you be teaching me?"

"A wide array of new jutsu, mainly Orochimaru's specialties and things to counter them," She said after swallowing. She shoved the rest of the ramen down her throat and paid the man. We left, walking through the cold rain (the wind was dying down) and making our way to the forest. Anko led me to a clearing and took off her jacket. I did the same, the water landing in little beads on my forehead. I frowned at the sky for being so dark.

"I'm not going to go easy on you," Anko warned, "If bones break, if blood is shed, I will not feel sympathy." I nodded knowingly.

"I understand," I told her.

And the training began.

* * *

_**I hate to admit this, but it's going to be ending soon. DON'T WORRY!**_

_**I PROMISE I won't end it with Sasuke or Saki dying! I swear to god!**_

_**Right now I have the ending planned and I'm debating whether or not to do a sequel. **_

_**But who knows, maybe it'll carry on for another five or so chapters. **_

_**I love you all! R & R (as in rate and review AND rest and relaxation, you kids have to calm down) **_

_**- - Suzuki Yumi '.'  
**_


	12. Misery Business

_**This is the **_**official_ ending to the story, but I will make two more chapters. Info on whether there will be a sequel at bottom of page. Tee hee. _**

**_I'm sneaky, making you read the chapter before getting updates._**

**_No! You can_not _just scroll to the bottom! It's unfair to the good kids who listen to me! _**

**_- - Suzuki Yumi '.' _**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

_2 Months Later -_

I can give a quick rundown of those two months; I occasionally got together with people like Kiba or Hinata. Anko was training me rigorously. It hurt, and I'd have to say I think I have internal brain damage from her lectures. She once lectured me about how a squirrel could fight better than me and how a tail would really suit me. She's worse than me some days. Anyways, I didn't talk to Sasuke at all those two months, but I finally realized it. I _loved _Sasuke, and no matter how much he betrayed me or hurt me, I couldn't just stop loving him.

I told no one of this epiphany.

So, anyway, not much happened until _that_ day…

* * *

The mark hurt like I was going to die. I actually grabbed a kunai and held it to my throat, as if threatening my body to stop hurting. I didn't want to tell Anko, she probably felt it too. Orochimaru had to be near, him or his goons. 

I had nothing else to do.

There was no one stronger that would believe my story.

And thus, I made my way to Sasuke's house, sticking to the walls of buildings like glue, using their rough edges for support. My legs started to give out even though it was my arm that hurt. I was forced to lower it, which only made me wobble more. I finally reached the Uchiha compound and I saw the gate open, thanking god for bestowing that gift upon me. I hobbled along the cobble-stone roads to Sasuke's house and I stopped at the door, wondering whether I'd be welcome or not.

I stumbled into Sasuke's house without knocking. I looked around in the darkness, pulling myself along by the wall.

"Sasuke," I called out into the darkness. I heard him stirring in his bed.

* * *

_**You could listen to "Taking over me" by Evanescence here**_

* * *

"Sasuke what do you when the mark hurts this much?" I asked. As if on cue, the mark immediately stung worse than usual after I said that. 

"Wait it out," was all he said. I frowned and I walked over to him like my legs were made out of noodles. Half-way to the lump that I assumed was his bed, I fell onto the floor. I grunted with the pain and I pulled myself up with the arm that didn't have the mark. I scrunched up my nose and made my way to Sasuke.

"Sasuke… you're going to have to talk to me eventually," I told him. I knelt beside his bed, my fists clenched. I didn't want to be weak in front of him. My nails dug into my palms but the pain was okay. I bit my lip as I felt the silent tears roll down my face and off the tip of my nose.

Sasuke turned around abruptly, startling me. He held my face up to observe in the moonlight that came from the single window.

"You're different," He said blankly, "What's wrong with your face?" I sighed, classic Sasuke.

"I haven't been eating much…" I mumbled. Sasuke pulled me up by my arms, holding me above the ground. I watched my feet dangle and I looked up at Sasuke's dark eyes. I cringed. I thought he would hurt me, but instead, I was pulled into a soft embrace.

"Don't do that because of me," He said, "I'm not worth it." I smiled despite the fact that the tears were still flowing. My face twisted into an ironic smile as I pulled away from him.

"You're doing it aren't you?" I asked him. He nodded absently.

"I have to kill Itachi," Sasuke said, "I know it's hard for you to understand the importance, but I _have _to do this." I smirked like it was some sort of cruel joke.

"G-" I started but he stopped me, with his lips. Sasuke pulled me into a passionate kiss. A hungry, powerful kiss, like he wanted to get as much out of me as he could since he'd be leaving soon. I smiled to him as I curled up beside him in his bed. I pulled his hand over my stomach so that he would come closer, and he did. He wrapped his arms around me warmly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes because he knew I would fall asleep beside him. And that I did.

* * *

I awoke the next morning, feeling the intimacy of being that close to him. How his breath had tingled on my neck. But I knew he was now gone. There was a note left in his place. I observed his beautiful cursive writing as I read through the note several times. 

_Saki,_

_I'm leaving. If I'm lucky, I'll never come back, because if I do, it will be my dead body coming here to be buried (by the way, my will's in the cup beside my bed, I wrote it last night after you fell asleep)._

_Please don't think I'm leaving because I don't like you. As I may have proved yesterday I do like you. I just need to kill Itachi. I believe that the only way to be truly freed of this weight on my back is by defeating him. Who knows, maybe some day I'll run into you Konoha kids again (knowing you, you'll make it to ANBU). I just don't have time to stay there and play you guy's ninja games._

_I'm going to Orochimaru, and don't you try to talk me out of it, because I know you're persuasive enough to do it)._

_P.S. I know how crappy your apartment is, so if you want to stay at my place, go ahead, it wouldn't bother me a bit._

_Sasuke_

I folded the note and placed it gently in my pocket, stretching out my stiff limbs from the night before. I grabbed his will from the cup on the table and resisted the urge to open it up, walking solemnly back to my house. I saw Kiba from the corner of my eye and I ignored him, continuing my ceremonial-like march.

"Saki! Sasuke-" Kiba started, reaching his hand out as he ran toward me.

"I know," I said blankly.

"We're organizing a search party! Under Shika's request!" Kiba exclaimed. I smirked to myself. I _had _to remember to hug that kid.

"When are we leaving?" I asked Kiba, maintaining a perfectly straight face.

"We?" Kiba asked skeptically.

"I'm not going?" I asked, my anger bubbling to the surface.

"I'll put in a good word for you!" Kiba yelled, running off to escape my rage. I kept walking home in silence, getting there and just barely sitting down when Sakura came bursting through my door without even knocking; her mascara was running down her face from crying.

"Sakura what happened?" I asked her, concerned slightly but still off in my own little world. I ran my hand along her back to comfort her.

"Sasuke! I tried to talk him out of it! But, he's gone! He went to Orochimaru! That curse mark's poisoning his brain!" Sakura screamed, "I'm going to _personally _rip Orochimaru to _shreds_!"

"Sakura," I said soothingly, "Calm down." I rolled up my sleeve, revealing my own curse mark. She gasped.

"But…" She murmured like someone was watching us.

"It doesn't take over your brain. Sasuke left of his own accord. And I assure you; I will join that rescue team and bring him back no matter _what_!" I told her. Sakura nodded, wiping away her tears.

"You wash up in my bathroom, I'm going to go join that rescue team," I told her. She thanked me under her breath and walked to the washroom.

I ran out to the front gate, searching frantically for Kiba and Shikamaru. I frowned when I noticed Naruto, Chouji, and Neji were there too. When I walked up they all stopped whispering to each other. I turned to Shikamaru, guessing he was their leader, being the only chunin in the group (how idiotic, sending genin after _Sasuke_).

"Shika, I want to come with you guys," I said sternly to him and the other genin that were going after Sasuke. They huddled up to discuss it.

"Her!? But she's a_girl_!" Chouji exclaimed.

"She's stronger than you so just shut up," Kiba snapped. Good ol' Kiba.

"I vote yes," Neji said, leaning back out of the group.

"She's strong, almost as much as Sasuke, which is a big advantage," Shikamaru added.

"Yes," Naruto agreed. Kiba nodded.

"Fine, but she's the first to go if we need someone to hang back!" Chouji said. Everyone, including me, rolled their eyes. I smiled sweetly. Chouji sighed.

"It's a yes!" Kiba said with a thumbs up. I smiled at him.

"You guys won't regret it!" I told them with an evil smile.

* * *

The fatty of the sound four trapped them in a dome, while I was hiding on the outskirts. They had told me to stay hidden, not to help them, no matter what. I felt useless up in the trees, but I waited patiently as the fat man ate away at their chakra. After a long wait they finally got out and Chouji was left alone to kill him, surprisingly, without complaining that I should do it. I ran after the rest of them, watching from a distance.

* * *

Neji went off into his own battle, but then Kiba fell down into a river, plummeting to almost certain death. 

"Kiba!" I screamed, jumping after him.

"Leave him!" Shikamaru yelled, grabbing onto my waist and just barely holding me back.

"He can take care of himself!" Shika said. I shook my head in anger and confusion. I _had_to break free but I couldn't use any of Orochimaru's jutsu, they were too deadly and chakra-expending. I felt chakra speed to my arms, swirling around until it heated up so much that it was fire. Shikamaru jumped away from me. I looked at my arms like I was some kind of monster.

"What's happening?" I asked. Naruto looked curiously.

"You don't seem damaged by it," He said. I flexed my hand. My arms still burned and I wished I could somehow cool them off. I saw a shaft of water emerge from where Kiba fell and it splashed evenly on my arms.

"What the _hell_!?" I screamed. Maybe it responded to my wishes.

"What's going on?" Shikamaru asked calmly. I went and I sat by a tree, looking up at it and testing my new found theory. I reached for the apple but I couldn't quite touch it. I thought hard about it and the tree lowered itself to my height. Shikamaru's eyes went wide.

"It must be some sort of kekkai-genkai," He muttered. I smirked. So _that_ was what Orochimaru was talking about. The ability to manipulate all the elements.

I tried out wind, bringing a gust that would blow Naruto down, and it did. I smiled and we all went along our merry way.

"That's great Saki, you can move the trees to let sunlight in so my jutsu works better," Shikamaru congratulated, "Back to the shadows." I jumped away from them, hiding in the trees until we made it to the girl with the flute. She pulled out her flute and laughed evilly as we sent Naruto on his merry way to find Sasuke. I knew I had to help Shika or she'd tear him to pieces in this environment. I stuck to the trees as Shikamaru fought. The girl used her flute to summon monsters and make them attack him. After a while, her body started to change, she had referred to that form as second state, when the curse mark covers your body and transforms you, giving you the urge to kill. You still are in half-control of your body at that point. I shook my head in sadness, realizing that Sasuke may go through that. Or might be right now.

A man with polka-dots on his forehead showed up and jumped after Naruto after speaking briefly with the girl, who he referred to as Tayuya.

I realized I had to get this over with, and in my rage, I jumped down to face her, opening a gap in the trees above us that she didn't notice because she was watching me.

I shot fire from my hands at her. I was starting to like this new kekkai-genkai.

"I'm tired of this, this _shit_!" I screamed at her, "You're _really _getting on my nerves Tayuya!" She smiled evilly and played her little flute. I watched as Shikamaru's shadow got closer and closer.

"Shadow strangle!" He screamed. I smirked, I really loved that move. Shadow-hands slowly went up to Tayuya's neck.

"I have to go!" I yelled, "This is all I can do to help you!" I left Shikamaru there with Tayuya, feeling sure that he could beat her then. I jumped past Naruto who was fighting polka-dot face.

"Sasuke went into the trees!" He called at me. I jumped along until I found a small dark clearing. I saw something… someone… it looked so familiar.

"Looks like I've found someone to test out my new powers on!" He exclaimed. I clapped my hand over my mouth. No! Sasuke! He had long gray hair and scary hands coming out of his back. _So this is Sasuke's second state._ Sasuke started using numerous fire jutsu on the helpless people. Was he just hurting innocent people? Or did they attack him first? Then I realized it; Those were ninja's of the sand, my friends, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro.

"I was waiting for the day I could kill you Gaara," Sasuke said. The look in his eyes, it wasn't… human at all. I backed up, scared, and I turned around, the sight in front of me caused me to jump back, falling to the ground.

"Boo," Orochimaru said. He came closer and closer.

"I needed a new body, and with your new-found kekkai-genkai you're the perfect person for the job," He said. Orochimaru backed me up against a tree. He came closer and closer. I screamed as loud as I could, and, in the blink of an eye, Sasuke had his hand around Orochimaru's neck.

"Jealous, are we? Well, you seem more willing then her, _you_ can be my new vessel," Orochimaru said like it was a good thing for him to take over your body. Sasuke tightened his hand around Orochimaru's neck.

* * *

_**If you want to, listen to "With You **_**[reanimation remix_" By Linkin Park (tee hee my favourite band!) _**

* * *

"I would never be jealous of someone who became the new you," Sasuke said spitefully. 

"You use people for their bodies and powers," Sasuke said, his eyes narrowing, "You can use me, you can use any of the others, but if you touch a single hair on her body it's as good as saying 'kill me now, Sasuke'"

"Little Sasuke's in love? You've always been the failure of the bunch," Orochimaru added, gasping for breath. Sasuke activated his sharingan and then used a special move that made the world around us become completely red and black.

"Saki, I'm going to show you… _the true nature of the Uchiha clan!_" Sasuke yelled. I watched in horror as little Sasuke clones stabbed Orochimaru repeatedly. For one day that lasted, and just watching it was torturing me too. The next day, Sasuke showed Orochimaru horrible images of his childhood. The next day, he stabbed him while showing him the images.

After it was all done, in reality, three seconds had passed. Orochimaru was gasping for breath. It was all an illusion.

"Ah, being able to use the Tsukiyomi without a mangekyou, a great talent," Orochimaru said, "This is why I chose you." Sasuke ignored him, turning to face me.

"Saki are you okay?" He asked. I nodded.

"Don't worry about me," I said with a smile.

"Saki, let them go," He pointed to the sand ninja, "I'll take care of this snake." I nodded and I ran to them.

"Some of our genin are fighting in the forest, could you help them?" I asked the siblings.

"Sure, we can take anyone," Temari said.

"Be careful, these aren't ordinary enemies," I warned. They nodded and walked off. I looked over and saw that Orochimaru had Sasuke in a death hold. I motioned with my hands for plants to rise out of the ground and vines rose up, vines with poison needles.

They wrapped around Orochimaru and dug in to his legs, crushing his bones as well as poisoning him.

"New jutsu?" Sasuke asked me curiously.

"Behold, the ultimate kekkai-genkai!" I yelled, getting the wind to blow my hair dramatically. Orochimaru fell to the ground.

"You shouldn't have come around here when you were so weak," Sasuke said sinisterly to Orochimaru, ignoring my over-dramatic-ness. I stalked closer.

"You don't have much longer, do you?" I asked him. Orochimaru shook his head.

"Well, we'll put you out of your misery!" I screamed. I used some extreme taijutsu on Orochimaru, using that as a decoy so I could stab him in the perfect spot with a needle, he was paralyzed. Sasuke looked, wide eyed. I pulled some water from a nearby stream and I made it harden into ice, making it into the shape of a blade.

"Care to do the honors?" I asked Sasuke.

"I'd love to," – He took the sword from my hands – "Today, you die!" Sasuke decapitated Orochimaru, and it didn't even make me squeamish, I knew he deserved it. I lit his head and body on fire. Sasuke started to scream in agony and pain.

"Araaaaaaaaaagh!" He screamed.

"Sasuke!" I yelled, running to him and holding his hand. To be honest, I thought he sounded like a woman giving birth. Sasuke was shaking uncontrollably, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

"Sasuke!" I yelled again. He screamed some more and he slowly turned back to normal, but he was still wearing his white shirt and bright purple rope. I liked that rope actually.

Sasuke stopped shaking and the mark on his neck disappeared, but he was unconscious. My hand slowly started shaking and I felt agonizing pain on my arm where the mark was. It was worse then when I first got the mark, because this happened over a span of about a minute and it was one hundred times more painful. I screamed so loud I thought I would lose my voice just from that. It was hard to keep my hold on Sasuke's hand, yet impossible to let go. I yelled again as another shot of pain ran up and down my arm.

I looked to see that my mark was gone, but I was soon unconscious as well.

* * *

I woke up in the hospital, looking to my left and knowing full well what I would see. 

"This really _should_ be your permanent room," Sasuke said.

"_Our _permanent room," I corrected. Sasuke shook his head, walking over to me and standing about a foot in front of me.

* * *

_**Possibly the song "Good Enough" by Hoobastank could be listened to here**_

* * *

After pausing briefly, as if analyzing my intense stare, he stepped closer and he traced my face with the back of his hand. 

"We can't do this anymore," He said. I furrowed my brow.

"Do what?" I asked.

"Be together, at all," Sasuke warned.

"Am I not good enough or something?" I asked, "Because ever since you… ever since he bit me, you've been acting different!"

"That's just it," Sasuke explained, "The curse mark is a mark Orochimaru gives you by biting you, it means he's considering using your body as a vessel, because, with his immortality jutsu the body dies every three years.

"He used us because we have kekkai-genkai and we are striving for revenge, so we may look to him for power."

I gave Sasuke a confused look. That wasn't how Anko explained it.

"I was weak, I gave in, but you, you could resist it," Sasuke explained, looking sad, "You were always better then me. You're the one who's too good for _me _Saki, and that is why we can't do this."

"We can't? Why… why n- I just don't get it," I protested.

"I'm bad for you," Sasuke explained, "Do you have any idea how many times you've almost died because of me?" I shook my head.

"Sasuke, the only bad thing you've ever done to me is leave," I said with loving eyes.

"I don't want to leave either, but I have to, Saki, like I said once, I couldn't live with myself knowing a teammate died because of me," Sasuke explained. I started to slowly cry and Sasuke took me in his arms, cradling me.

"I don't think you're getting this," I said, Sasuke looked puzzled, "If you love me as much as I love you, then leaving each other is the worst thing that could ever happen."

"Saki…" – I could tell he was struggling to get the words out, break through his emo-barrier - "I love you more than you could ever imagine, that's_why_ I'm leaving," Sasuke explained. He laid me gently on the bed.

"Please Sasuke…" I whispered. He walked over to me.

"One last ki-" I started, but I think he got the picture. Sasuke kissed me gently, not a peck like the rest of our nervous kisses. I ran my hand through his hair a little and we finally pulled apart.

"Sorry," I said, "I ruined your hair." Sasuke smiled. That was a twice in a lifetime experience.

"Want to borrow some hair gel or something?" I teased through my tears. Sasuke just kept smiling and he left, I stared back, knowing that neither of us would be the same again.

* * *

_**-cries-**_

_**Aug I hate myself for making this the ending. Oh well. There will be two more chapters.**_

_**And, for **_**sure _a sequel! -claps-_**

_**I just couldn't let this pair go, I just...couldn't do it. **_

_**Look forward to sequel! **_

_**- - Suzuki Yumi '.' **_


	13. Big Girls Don't Cry

**_These next two chapters will serve no apparent purpose and play in no way to the actual outcome of the sequel._**

**_- - Suzuki Yumi '.' _**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

_Sasuke – _

Saki hadn't known it, but before we killed off Orochimaru I had lived with him for a week or so.

I wasn't sure _why _I'd gone, maybe I'd rather give myself up than have Saki die.

_Orochimaru promised to train me for two years and a half because he didn't need my body until then. I knew that was definitely enough time to learn some strong jutsu, and then escape the hell-hole we were in and kill Itachi._

_I felt bad for leaving Saki, who was going to protect her now?_

_I tried to push those thoughts to the back of my head so I could focus on my training, but I just couldn't do it. My emotions were too thick, my brain too clouded. I thought of her soft face, her brown hair falling messily into place, concealing her eyes. I'd always liked her eyes. They were a dark brown with flecks of gray in them that made her look like a child. I frowned, remembering that the first thing I noticed about her was her eyes. _

_I shook my head violently, knowing I wouldn't be able to escape if I kept thinking about home. _

_Kabuto, Orochimaru's helper, trudged in, passing me a white shirt, dark blue pants, a purple skirt-like thing and black boots. _

"_Put them on," He said blankly, leaving. I furrowed my brow and removed my clothes, slipping on the new garments. The white shirt parted right at the front to expose my chest. _

_Orochimaru probably designed it._

_I sighed and looked at myself in the mirror. _

_After a while the door opened, revealing a girl who looked about two years older than me. She had bright red hair and was wearing a lab coat. She eyed me up and down, stopping at my chest. I noticed she was holding something shiny. _

"_I was going to give you this sword," She explained, "But now I only will if you kiss me." I rolled my eyes and went behind her, snatching it out of her hands and slicing them because she was holding it by the blade. I put it around her throat._

"_What's your name, idiot?" I asked her. She scoffed, but then calmed herself._

"_Karin," She said blankly. She lifted up her hands to look at them, pretending not to be aware of me. _

"_You're Sasuke," She said. I narrowed my eyes._

"_Yes," I said, almost adding "what are you, a stalker?" But I had remembered that I had to leave my crazy vibes in Konoha. _

"_You're from the leaf village, right?" She asked me. I took my headband off and I threw it across the room._

"_Yes," I said, releasing the blade from her neck to create a more relaxed environment. _

"_You don't say much do you?" Karin asked._

"_You don't think much do you?" I retorted._

"_I wouldn't be throwing comments like that around when you're so low on Orochimaru's chain," Karin explained. I frowned._

"_I'm his next vessel" I explained._

"_He wants that Saki girl more," Karin explained. I rolled my eyes at Orochimaru's stupidity._

"_Well he's not getting her too easily," I told her with a hearty laugh._

And he didn't.

He didn't get her at all.

I had been traveling for about two days after leaving her in the hospital.

I smiled happily, jumping through the trees. I was beginning to get tired. I kept going until I reached a clearing with a little lake. I jumped down and I sat beside the lake, looking up at the treetops. I always felt at home in the forest, like it was the one place I belonged.

I ran my hand along the wet grass, staring again at the beautiful, clear water of the lake. I stripped down to my boxers and I dove in, swimming underwater for as long as my lungs would let me. I smiled at the feel of the water on my face. I submerged myself again, daring myself to open my eyes and look around. There were a few fish that scurried around, avoiding my body completely. The underwater plants swayed back and forth with the faint force of my kicks. I came back up, my hair splashing unevenly around my face.

I thought I heard a waterfall in the distance. I smirked, thinking that I may have entered the area surrounding the Village Hidden in the Waterfall. Where we had our first mission.

I grabbed my stuff and I ran through the forest swiftly in just my underwear, knowing I would see it soon. And I did.

The natural hot spring.

I sauntered up to the familiar place, feeling the steam rise up and brush my face. I eased myself in and sat down on a strange ledge that was rather ragged, as if someone must have carved it using primitive tools.

I sighed at the nice feeling.

After a while I finally got up to leave, throwing my bag over my wet back and finding the path I had followed Saki down. I walked down that path, stroking the tree at the end that I had leaned against. I looked at the rock, imagining her figure sitting on it. I bit my lip in sadness, seeing her towel strung across the trees. It was tattered and dirty, but still there.

I walked up to it and ran my fingers along the rough fabric.

* * *

A few more days of steady traveling passed, I wondered what the Hokage did once she realized I had absorbed Orochimaru's jutsu repertoire and power into my body. I was more excited about the fact that I had his power then I was about the fact that I actually _killed _him.

I had stolen some useful information on Akatsuki's whereabouts and I knew Itachi would be on his way to kidnap Naruto. I wasn't going to let that happen. Not that I cared about Naruto or anything, but it was my goal to kill Itachi before he reached Konoha again.

It wasn't going to be easy, but with my Kusanagi sword and my new lightning techniques I had been working on I knew I could do it.

* * *

One day, after months of travel the strangest thing that would ever happen to me happened.

No one knew of my fear.

So I guess god just_really _hated me that day.

My one weakness was a fast approaching; I heard the _choo-choo_ of a train in the distance. I looked around cautiously, my head swinging back and forth in a pendulum motion. I saw a burst of light as a _huge _train came rumbling past me. I screamed, realizing later that I sounded like a five year old girl. I waved my hands in the air, wanting it to just go away. I was actually considering jumping in front of it to make the horror end.

The train skidded to a stop and I noticed the length of trees that weren't there. I wondered, were they ever there?

I slapped myself for not noticing the train tracks beside me.

Neji, sporting a train conductor hat that was off to the side slightly was in the front of train. He ran his fingers along the brim of the hat.

"Supa dupa fly," He said. I raised my eyebrow in confusion, still scared of the train beside me. I didn't want to run screaming and look like a wimp.

"Choo choo!" Neji said, pumping his arm like he was pulling down the train thing. My face twisted in agony as he jumped out, slapping his chest with both hands.

"What!? You wanna go!?" He asked. I blinked, confused as to why he was dressed as a train conductor.

"Ummm… sure?" I said skeptically. Neji ripped the hat off and stared at me threateningly. I pulled out my sword shakily, almost dropping it.

"Have you gotten weaker or something?" Neji asked. I laughed nervously.

"Ha…ha..haha," I said, daring to glance at the train. Its shiny metal surface and the tracks below it… I felt that day's previous meals rise up my throat. I shook my head, trying to ignore it. Neji came straight at me and I charged my lightning chakra into my blade, thrusting it toward him. Neji's gloved hands grasped the sword and he flipped over it as if it was slow motion.

"Train conductor… kick!" Neji screamed, kicking my face in one swift motion. I went flying back, letting go of my sword. I wiped the blood from my lip and glared at Neji.

"Damn…" I muttered, "Rubber gloves."

"Never put 'em down," Neji explained, holding the ugly black gloves in the air. I jumped toward him with my fist clenched, stopping right in front of his face.

"Wait a minute, why are we fighting?" I asked him.

"I don't know," Neji replied. I put my arm around him to seem friendly.

"So, when did you become a train conductor?" I asked.

"When Hinata's dad kicked me out," He explained.

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"I had a lady friend under my bed," He explained blankly.

"Who?" I asked, even more curious.

"Your brother," Neji explained. My nose twitched in disgust.

"It was his turn to be the woman," He explained. I shook my head, trying to get rid of my horrifying mental images. I went through a complex series of facial expressions before finally saying, "I don't want to know." We stood in utter silence.

"I'm just kiddin', I told him I was gay," Neji said. He looked closely at me.

"I don't swing that way," I told him blankly.

"I don't find you attractive at all," Neji said with narrowed eyes. Somehow, that hurt.

"So anyway," Neji said awkwardly, "I decided to go into the train conducting business." I smirked at him.

"And I'm writing a book! "The Life of a Homosexual Train Conductor" by Neji Hyuga," Neji explained. I was trying to take all this information in, sickened to my stomach by the randomness of it all. I picked up my sword and I waved goodbye to Neji.

"It'd be great if you didn't tell anyone you saw me," I told him.

"Same to you," Neji said. So he was a runaway too. I shook my head at him, wondering how this news would affect Tenten. I shrugged, not really caring; I'd always hated her anyways.

* * *

**_My friend Amy inspired the Neji part of this one. She actually helped me plan most of it. _**

**_Believe me, Neji being gay will not affect the story because I just needed a reason for him to run away from the village. However, his novel _may_ pop up later. _**

**_The next chapter is just as pointless and random, but a _little bit _more plot. _**

**_Good night New York City,_**

_**P.S. Amy and Craigory hate L.A.**_

_**P.S.S. I want a cheeseburger, a **_**second _one._**

_**  
**_

**_- - Suzuki Yumi '.'_**_**  
**_


	14. I'm Waiting

**_Okay, here's another chapter._**

**_It isn't actually very _POINTLESS_ this time, I was proud of myself. _**

**_It's probably because I was listening to rock music, last chapter I listened to rap._**

**_- - Suzuki Yumi'.' _**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

_Kiba -_

It was horrible.

The worst part of my life.

Having to see Saki like that was torturing me too. I wanted to anything I could to help her, but the only person that really could help her was Sasuke.

* * *

_**Listen to "Flavour Of The Week" by American Hi-Fi if you want **_

* * *

I would say, "Saki, how are you today?" and she'd say something like, "I'm fine, my training is going well, I can now do most of the jutsu Anko taught me without even breaking a sweat!" And she'd smile. But only people _really_, _truly _close to her would be able to tell. She was empty. Like the lights were on but no one was home. 

Akamaru noticed it too. Lately I hadn't been seeing her because the atmosphere around her frightened him.

I mean, sure, I _wanted_to be around her, but I couldn't be around someone so depressed.

Once day, I heard from Temari that it was her birthday and I went to visit her. I walked in without knocking and no one was there. I frowned.

She had promised me she wouldn't cry over Sasuke, she would just continue going along normally. I hadn't believed her.

I walked to the Uchiha compound; it was the only place I cold think of that she might have gone to. I went through the open gate, knowing she was there then. I carried my present for her, which was tucked under my arm safely. I walked to Sasuke's and I opened the door, spotting a lump on the bed that must have been her.

I walked over and poked her until she turned around. She was wearing some jeans and a white shirt with a black vest over it, very professional.

"I brought you a birthday present," I told her. She smiled, but the rest of her face showed no apparent emotion. She took off the wrapping paper skeptically. When it was almost all the way off I grabbed it from her hands. A red clock in the shape of a cat, one of those opens with the swinging tail.

"Meh meh meh," I said with a smile. Saki watched the tail swing and for a moment I thought she was going to throw up but then she burst into laughter. It was clear as a bell, and I could tell there were actual emotions. For a moment, I saw the beautiful eyes I'd missed all that time. Her eyes were watered, they sparkled, like a child's, but after that they returned to their glazed-over brown state. She took the clock and put it on the wall.

"Why don't you put it on the wall in your own apartment?" I asked her. If that kept up she would've been in a mental hospital.

"I'm living here now," She told me with a cold stare. I was about to question why but then I decided against it. She arranged dying flowers in a vase on the bed-side table.

"Sasuke said I could," She said as if reading my mind. I pursed my lips, wondering just _how _Sasuke "Said she could". She turned around, clapping at the "perfection" of the dead flowers. She took a small piece of paper out of her pocket and placed it next to the vase. She scurried to the kitchen and came back with a lighter. I almost ran over to her because I thought she was going to light them on fire but instead she marched to the bathroom and lit scented candles.

"You're rather cheerful today," I observed.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Saki asked me, looking confused.

"I'm starting part time teaching," She told me with a faint smile.

"That's good," I said.

"Yes, and I will be living here because it's closer to the school," She explained.

"Is today your first day?" I asked.

"No. Today I was introduced to the kids," She told me. She shook her head sadly.

"Konoha just keeps running out of ninja to send on dangerous missions," She said with a frown, "Iruka has to do an A rank even though he's just a chunin."

"So you just stepped in to save the day?" I asked.

"I would have gone to ANBU but they'd rather have older people, I can understand that," She said. Her eyes drifted to the window like she was daydreaming.

"I met this man named Sai the other day," Saki explained, "He was hot." I smirked.

"You really need more_girl_ friends," I told her with a smile. Saki smirked.

"I don't know, he was _going _to join Hinata and my team to replace… Sasuke…" She muttered. I urged her to go on with a hand gesture.

"But now everyone's branching off on their own and poor Sai's all alone," Saki explained.

"You should show him around," I hinted with a smile, noticing that she had improved greatly from when I last saw her.

"Good idea," Saki agreed slyly, chuckling, "_After _my bath!" She started to strip down but then she glanced at me.

"Out! Sai doesn't have all day to wait for me!" She screamed. I left immediately, making my way through the compound. I walked slowly back to my house, my hands in my pockets. I heard the faint sounds of Neji's train in the distance.

I was glad Saki was doing something to keep her mind off of Sasuke. Getting a job, especially with children, was the perfect thing for her.

I kept on walking, hearing a rustle in the bushes. I turned and glared at the bushes.

I kept walking calmly, but the, with a blur, my legs were knocked out from under my by someone's body impact.

"What's your problem Ino!?" I shouted.

"I need your help," She said calmly, getting up and brushing off her outfit.

"You see… I was stalking Gaara…" She started, I cut her off.

"Why, dare I ask?" I asked bravely.

"With no Sasuke, who else _is_ there!?" She asked. I frowned.

"Go on," I said, crossing my arms.

"Well, I was hiding in the bushes and Kankuro came up, pulling me out by my hair," Ino explained, "But then Gaara came near and I pulled Kankuro in the bush with me. After Gaara passed, we didn't leave, we just talked and talked and talked about our villages and stuff, and in the end, we went for dinner."

"How does that affect me?" I asked.

"It doesn't really… that much… I was just wondering if Saki wanted to go to the sand with me. She could see Temari and Gaara and I could see Kankuro," Ino explained, "And… I was afraid to ask her myself." I smiled warmly.

"I'll put in a good word," I assured her. She smiled, pleased, and ran off. I loved how romance was blooming all around Konoha. Temari and Shikamaru were actually getting serious. Once I saw them walking down the street holding hands. Everyone just seemed a lot happier because they all had someone to be with.

I mean, Sakura was even starting to be able to be _near _Naruto without killing herself. I was proud of her.

* * *

A while later I swung back toward Saki's (Well, Sasuke's) house, hearing voices from inside. 

"You remind me of myself," A man's voice said. I knew it was Sai.

"Really?" Saki asked.

"Yes, your eyes are so blank. Although you smile, you remain expressionless," Sai explained.

"Yes I know…" Saki muttered.

"Why?" Sai asked, "Are you ANBU as well?"

"Something bad happened to me and I haven't quite gotten over it," Saki told him.

"How long have you been in Konoha?" Sai asked.

"About six years. Today's my birthday," Saki said.

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"Happy Birthday."

"Thanks."

"Does someone else live here with you?"

"No…" I could hear her getting up, "Some _used _to live here."

"Oh."

"Why are you in Konoha?"

"To track down Sasuke Uchiha." I could almost _feel _her going completely stiff.

"He's looking for his brother, so he should be coming here when his brother comes for Naruto, and I'll be ready."

There was a silence and I heard someone coming to the door, I jumped onto the other side of the building. Sai walked off, waving goodbye to Saki.

"Kiba, did you hear that? Sasuke's coming," Saki said. I jumped down beside her.

"You knew I was there?" I asked.

'I could sense it," She said, looking into the distance like she was blind.

"Will you be able to wait?" I asked in a whisper.

"I'll wait as long as it takes," Saki told me boldly.

* * *

_**Okay, that's the last chapter before the sequel!**_

_**Keep in mind you may have to wait because I'm not putting up the sequel 'till I have three chapters done.**_

_**Oh! I'll keep you updated with sequel ideas on my website, accessible by my profile. **_

_**Love you all! **_

_**- - Suzuki Yumi '.' **_


End file.
